Scarred Soul
by wystern
Summary: Rena joins Fenrir in hopes of find out about her mysterious past. Her only clues being a damaged bracelet, and a mysterious blood red Aragami. How are the two connected? SomaxOc
1. Prologue

So this is my first God Eaters Burst fanfiction. Its been a while since I've uploaded anything at all these past few months (years maybe? ^_^;)

I'm doing as much as I can to catch up on that other story I was writing (Mushra's Journey), and changing a few things. So don't expect any updates on that one any time soon, sorry…

So here it is! Scarred Soul. Hope you like it!

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><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

What would you do…?

If there was someone whose name you'd forgotten, and were chasing after all your life…

In a world that has been destroyed by blood thirsty monsters, known as Aragami…

And were fortunate to finally find that person…

What would you do, if that person had become an Aragami?

Would you bring yourself… to pull the trigger?

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><p>Sorry if it seemed a little vague… But tell me what you think. And please comment!<p> 


	2. Chapter 1

Here goes the first chapter for this fanfiction, took me a while to actually start but here it is! I hope is not too short. Please review!

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><p><strong>Chapter 1 <strong>

**In this Forsaken World**

_**-February 19, 2072-**_

Anybody else would think she was crazy. Well who wouldn't?

After all, going out and enter a city filled with Aragami was something no one would dare to do. The risk was way too high and there was no guarantee you would come back alive.

But she had her reasons. Todd, a friend of hers had gone and sneaked out into the old city, trying to play a prank on the others.

'_A prank. Who are you kidding?'_ she had thought when she heard the news, _"he most likely had an argument with his friends regarding him being a 'scaredy-cat'"_ after all he never did like being called that, despite actually being a crybaby.

The City of Mercy was a scary place and, knowing him, she had expected him to come back before sundown. But a day had passed and there was still no sigh of him anywhere in the Ghetto. Rena had then taken it upon herself to go and bring him back home, hoping he would still be alive.

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><p>Rena wandered by the empty streets – if you could still call it that – looking around for any sighs of Todd's whereabouts. The girl didn't call out to him, for it would easily attract unwanted attention.<p>

Then again, calling out would certainly let the kid know she was there. At a price, of course. Rena shook the idea away, fighting the Aragami was definitely out of the question.

Rena held an old steel rod in her hands – better be prepared for anything, right? – but she knew it would prove useless if she was really attacked by an Aragami. Those monsters would crush anything in their path, especially if it was a human.

'_I knew it'_ she thought _'this is the worst possible thing I could have done'_ not because of the danger of wandering around here. She already knew it was a mistake to come out here; what truly worried her was how the people in the Ghetto would react to this.

As it was, only a few of the residents 'tolerated' her presence. The kids, and a few adults were friendly. But everyone else was an entirely different story.

'_Rat'_ Rena shrugged at the nickname. Ever since _that_ happened, everyone has looked down on her and even accused her of being… well, cursed…

Taking a deep breath, Rena eyed her surroundings and making sure she had not lost track of where she was, before moving on. Every step she took seemed louder than they should, and it made her wonder why she hadn't been ambushed yet.

As if answering her question, a growl echoed throughout the city followed by the sound of heavy steps. It was an Aragami, and by the sound of it, it was getting closer by the minute. Shoot!

She ran into a nearby building, and searched the area. She found what looked like a table, which lay upside down, one side held upwards by some rumble. Rena hid under it and waited, tightening her grip on her weapon.

Soon she saw it, a bipedal dinosaur-like creature with long fangs protruding from its lower jaw. An Ogretail, just what she didn't need.

Without noticing, her hands started shaking; sweat already appearing on her forehead. If she was found, she would be killed!

Rena slowly moved away, further under the table hoping to be able to crawl out through the other side and escape. But soon found she had her back against a death end, much to her annoyance.

The Aragami soon stood right in front of her hiding place, turning its head this way that, sniffing the air for the scent of prey.

Rena pressed herself against the 'wall' behind her; it was close, too close. With each step the Aragami took, her heart seemed to beat louder. The brunette tried hard not to move, wishing for that monster to go away.

She was so intent on what she was doing, her grip on the rod slipped, very slightly. The thing brushed against the floor, letting out a screeching noise. Rena silently cursed; the Ogretail had turned in her direction.

'_I am so screwed…'_ it found her, and surely in a few seconds, she would be… Suddenly another noise reached her ears, and most likely the monster's as well.

It came from the other side of the ruined building, the sound similar to rocks falling or being thrown.

The Ogretail stood in front of her hiding place for what seemed like an eternity, then it moved away. Taking a peek outside, she saw the monster disappear behind a pile of rubble, and the noise of scratching reached her ears.

Slowly, she crawled out from under the table. As she walked away, as silently as she could, she caught sign of the monster's tail; a spiked plate-like thing that seemed to be made with a mix of stones, spikes and fur.

One hit from that could kill anyone and those fangs – which she could not see, but knew it had – where as dangerous as they appeared. Slowly she walked away as quietly as she could, until she was outside the building. Once there she ran for it.

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><p>For a moment she thought she heard footsteps coming after her, but soon found it was just her heart. <em>'Bad idea indeed…'<em>

After minutes of running, she stopped by the ruins of an old cathedral to catch her breath. Rena looked around. She hadn't been followed, something she was grateful for. That did not mean she felt safe, though.

A running Ogretail was much faster than it looked, especially if it was chasing prey. Had it actually noticed her presence, she would not be standing her right now.

There was a tint of orange in the sky, which told her she needed to hurry. Don't wanna end up wandering these streets at night, and end up becoming Aragami feed.

Seriously! Where had that kid gone off to!?

Then, a soft cry startled her.

After waiting a bit she heard the sound again; it came from a place across of where she stood. Walking closer, she recognized the sound and approached the area. Inside a deteriorated building, behind some containers, was the silhouette of boy crying. It was _Todd!_

Rena ran to where he was, and kneeled before him. Placing a hand on his head, he jumped out of fear pressing his back against the wall. He calmed down a when he saw it was her and not an Aragami.

"Found you" the girl said, with the tone of someone who'd just found a friend during a game of hide and seek. Todd looked at her, letting a flow of tears fall down, before he ran and hugged her. He gripped at her shirt for dear life, not wanting to let go.

He looked beat up; dirt covered him from head to toe, as if… _'He was chased!?'_ a cut on his shoulder told her he must have been running for his life. But an Aragami would not just leave a cut, so he must have received it when he was trying to escape.

Rena returned the hug, she stroke his hair in hope of comforting him. It seemed to work, for the trembling stopped soon after. "Let's head back home, alright?" the boy gave a nod.

Taking hold of her hand, they made their way out of there. Walking past the cathedral, from the corner of her eye, she saw another – or perhaps the same – Ogretail walking to where she found Todd. Another minute and they would have been attacked.

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><p>The way back home was long, and it had taken Rena a little bit of time to figure out which way to go after night fell over; something that stressed her out.<p>

Once inside the Outer Ghetto, however, she finally relaxed. Todd let go of her hand and ran down the street, back home. She heard a shouting soon after, and gave a soft chuckle knowing it was the boy's mother, who was probably lecturing the poor kid.

But she was glad, for they had made it back safely. And she hoped – with all her heart – they wouldn't go through this ever again.

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><p>The next day, some kids asked her about her 'little trip' into the old city. "Is it true you fought off through a bunch of Ogretails on the way to save Todd?" one said. Where the hell did they hear that one from? "I heard she found one of those big tigers instead!" that one's even worse!<p>

"Who on earth put these insane ideas inside those kid's heads!" she screamed once she was back at home; a small house made for only one person to live in. She let herself fall on the bed, sighing in annoyance.

Although it was true that she did not feel as much fear for the Aragami as normal people would. But fighting them? Sure, she'll probably fight one if it was really necessary. Not that there was a high chance she'll survive, but anyway. A swarm of those was definitely a 'No, no'.

A big tiger? She hadn't seen one, but she heard they were very dangerous. Much more dangerous than ten Ogretails combined. Now, Rena would never dare confront one; it would be instant death if she dared.

Such rumors had spread over before, but not as bad as these.

The ones she _had_ worried about, however, were the problem. "So it is true that she's cursed" she heard them say and bit her lip. "That's why she is unharmed. Because Aragami don't touch the 'Cursed Children'"

Rena put a pillow over her head, struggling to shake away those words. She was not cursed! She was not a monster!

It was not long before sleep took her, sending her off into a dream; one which soon became a nightmare full of flames and a beast whose glare pierced her very soul.

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><p>Rena always thought that after all she's been through, nothing would surprise her. Save for a few things, but anyway. How wrong she was.<p>

Five days after the incident with Todd, a notice from the Far East Branch came over. She'd been selected to become a New-Type God Eater. From that day forward, things changed forever in her life.

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><p>Finally started!<p>

Rena is an OC character I created. Just in case she's 16 years old, and has short brown hair.

So anyway! Onto the second chapter! Please review!


	3. Chapter 2

Sorry for the delayed update! Here is the Second Chapter! Note that this story takes place 1 year after the main storyline. Since I had decided to write this after I finished the game (Which I did not long ago).

Also I will be adding some new characters to the story, so if you don't recognize a certain character that'll appear in this chapter, it is because it's an OC. Just to let you know, of course.

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><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

**New-Type God Eater**

_**-February 25, 2072-**_

Rena found herself in a big circular room, with grey walls which seemed to be made of some sort of metal, lit only by a big light from above. Looking around she noticed there was a huge pane of frosted glass high up on the other side of the room; behind it were several people whose faces she couldn't see.

"Sorry about the long wait…" she heard a voice say, it came from a speaker which was located in a place she couldn't see. "Welcome to mankind's last fortress: Fenrir" she noticed the voice sounded female.

"We will now test your compatibility as a member of the Anti-Aragami Punitive Force, the God Eaters" the person sounded stressed and somehow annoyed. Rena could tell that if she met this person, they would certainly not get along well.

"Now, when you're ready, head for that case in the center of the room" she said, sounding tired this time. Rena wondered if this person had a change of moods often, before doing as she was told.

Walking towards said case, she noticed a sword was resting on it. The blade was white, with a dark edge. The hilt seemed to be equipped with dark blue and grey plates (where those shields?), there was something right underneath, which looked like a blue gun. Lastly, the handle was black with a lighter color on the back end.

There was another panel, suspended in the air by four slim metal rods. There was something red handing from it. Another red object was located by the handle, and she wondered what it was for.

Reaching out she took hold of the sword, resting her wrist on the place with the suspicious red object. There was a silence, a feeling of uneasiness creeping up inside her as she touched the sword. Suddenly the top panel dropped, trapping her arm under its pressure.

Pain spread out on her arm as something bit down on her wrist, as though a million needles sank on her skin. Rena let out a cry of pain, trying to free herself to no avail as. She felt lightheaded and stopped struggling, the pain slowly turning into numbness.

Soon the lid opened, revealing a red armlet attached to her wrist. The girl looked up, the pain had completely left, and proceeded to try and take the sword from its resting place. It was lighter than she'd expected, raising it above her head she saw a black vein-like thing stick out from the yellow core and attach itself to the armlet.

"Congratulations" she heard the voice say, and proceeded to lower the sword. "You are now one of the Far East Branch's God Eaters" this time she sounded more relaxed, as if watching the aptitude test go on had made her use up her energy.

"This concludes the Aptitude Test" the silhouettes shifted behind the glass window "Now that we know you're a match, you will be receiving a medical check up next. I'd like you to wait in the room beyond that door…"

"If you start up feeling unwell then don't hesitate and let someone know of it immediately" the middle silhouette started moving away "We all have high hopes for you" and with that the silhouette disappeared.

Rena proceeded to do as told, again. And left the room, the sword was taken from her as soon as she left.

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><p>The girl sat on one of the benches near a counter table. Rena saw people come, talk to the girl behind the counter, and then leave the place by walking up the metallic stair and going past a door on the other side. All of them wore the same red armlet as her.<p>

_So I'm not the only one who went through 'that' _she was so distracted in her thoughts that she didn't notice time pass by. Soon someone approached her.

Rena, startled by the sudden change in atmosphere, looked up and saw a tall woman (or was _she _the one who was short?) dressed in white clothes with ochre trimmings. She had long black wavy hair, most of it resting on her right shoulder. The right side of her face was half covered by her long bands.

"Stand up" she said in a bossy tone. And judging by her expression, she wasn't someone who would repeat the same thing without getting annoyed. Not wanting to get on her bad side, Rena stood up in haste. She stood up so fast, however, that she almost lost her balance.

"I am on a tight schedule so I'll be keeping short" the woman put a hand on her hip, and Rena noticed she was also wearing an armlet. The only difference is that hers had a yellow line around it, and this made her wonder what it meant.

"My name is Tsubaki Amamiya, and I'm your advisor" she said shortly

"This is your schedule – after the medical checkup, you'll have to complete a full curriculum of basic physical training, basic combat training, as well as a weaponry/armor clinic" Rena wondered what the last part meant, though she didn't dare interrupt Tsubaki.

"We're the ones who have been protecting you up until now. But from this day on, you'll be the doing the protecting" she said it in such as stern tone, it made it sound as if she'd repeated this over and over "If you don't want to lose your life over something stupid, then answer my every order with a "Yes", is that clear?"

This made a chill run up Rena's spine, had she really meant that? The woman's face got a lot more serious when Rena did not respond "Am I making myself clear?"

"Y-Yes ma'am!" she answered nervously.

"Alright, now let's begin with the medical checkup" Rena relaxed a little, the fear of being reprimanded leaving her. "Report to Paylor Sakaki's laboratory by 1500 hours. You can take a tour of the facilities until then"

"This is your new home, the Fenrir Far East Branch, a.k.a. 'The Den'. Make sure you pay your respects to the members of your team" the woman turned to leave, walking away with stiff shoulders. She must be really busy.

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><p>Rena walked around to ask for directions on where the laboratory was, and she was told to head for the 3BF, labeled Laboratory, by using the elevator.<p>

Inside it, she pressed the button that would take her to her destination while thinking about Tsubaki's last words. _Members of her team?_ Was she in a team already? No, she concluded, for she'd just arrived; unless, of course, there was some surprise waiting for her.

The elevator doors opened and a long hallway stretched out before her. Rena walked towards the room on the other side, which read "Sakaki's Lab". The girl found it slightly funny to put one's name on a label for everyone to see. She pressed a button to her right, and the door slid open.

Rena finds a man sitting by a desk, typing something on a keyboard that is connected to the four monitors that surround him. Beside the desk stood a woman wearing a lab coat, holding a bunch of papers which she seemed to be reading; a constant frown on her face.

Rena presumed the man was the person she was supposed to see, and walked towards him. He noticed her presence and looked up, "You arrived much sooner than I expected. It's good to see you, new comer"

"My name is Paylor Sakaki. I am charge of the Aragami technology R&D, as well as the current director of the Far East Branch" Rena eyed him with curiosity, almost not believing the last part of the sentence. For a director he didn't quite look like it, at least in her perspective.

The woman beside him looked at him before speaking up "You really should do something about the term 'New'. She's not the only one here with that kind of God Arc, isn't she?" Rena immediately recognized her voice as the one she heard in that circular room, where she got the armlet.

The man seemed to be in deep though, not answering her. She then continued speaking "With her, we already have five of those 'New-Types' here, don't we?"

"Four…" Sakaki said with bitterness. "By the way"

"This lady here is Miss Sophia" he continued typing, his expression never changing. "And she'll be in charge of the lab whenever I'm away"

The woman turned glared at him "I would like it if you didn't use 'that' term with me, if you wouldn't mind. It makes me uncomfortable" she tightened the grip on the papers in anger.

Rena silently chuckled, finding the argument amusing. Wondering why she didn't like to be called that way, she was a woman wasn't she?

'Miss' Sophia looked at her, noticing her amusement "I don't think I need to say this. But if you're going to cause trouble around here then you should just leave immediately" Rena flinched.

"Still, congratulations for passing the test" the woman relaxed the grip on the papers "Now, allow me to explain the Fenrir Corporation's objectives. I haven't been here long so don't expect a full explanation. Your direct duties from here on out, like others, are to keep the Aragami in this region at bay"

"It's the same for all the other God Eaters who live in this base, so you better don't slack off!" again she flinched. There was no way in the world she would do something like that.

"Now, don't be too harsh on her" this time it was Sakaki who spoke. He finished typing something before turning to Rena "She may seem angry most of the time, but don't take it to heart. That's just how she is"

Sophia glared daggers at the back of his head, "I'll be taking my leave, if you'll excuse me" she walked past Rena with a furious look on her face, and exited the room. Rena concluded that whatever had been said must have gotten on her nerves.

"Alright" the girl looked at the man with glasses, "we're good to go now. Please lie down on that bed, will you?" he motioned for a door beside him "You will feel sleepy for a little while, but I assure you there is nothing to worry about. You'll be in your own room the moment you wake up"

Rena nodded and followed the instructions, albeit feeling slightly suspicious. After lying down, she did feel drowsiness come to her, and soon everything went black.

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><p>Hey I'm not quite sure about Tsubaki's introduction, I don't know if she's supposed to say that to new members all the time or not. So if there is something that should be changed then tell me. PLEASE!<p>

Also the person speaking during the aptitude test is not Soma's dad for he's no longer there. (If you've played the game, you'll know what I mean) She's the woman who is introduced when Rena visits the lab, and she's an OC.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 is here! Sorry for the wait.

Alright, its time for her to start working as a God Eater! The story may skip a few days (2 actually) since Rena arrived in Fenrir, just to let you know so that you don't get confused.

So anyway, here we are!

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><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

**Training**

_**-February 27, 2072-**_

Rena stood in the dark, not knowing where she was. She looked around, confused by the unfamiliar surroundings. '_Hello?'_ She calls out as she takes a few steps forward, her footsteps echoing in the darkness.

Suddenly, hot gust of wind hit her and without warning, red flames burst out of nowhere. She retreats a few steps from the shock. The fire quickly fills the room, as if oil had been spilled everywhere, surrounding her.

Rena used her arms to shield herself, expecting to feel the heat of the fire, only to feel cold instead. Lowering her arms, she noticed something, or someone, standing just beyond the walls of fire.

It was the silhouette of some sort of creature, and it was walking towards her, on all four legs with a waving tail that was on fire. Its eyes glowed a dangerously as they looked back at her, a sort of fury deep within them.

"W-Who are you!?" Rena blurted out before even thinking if it could speak or not. The creature stopped walking and raised its head, showing two saber fangs protruding from the corners of its mouth, along with a line of sharp teeth. She froze, was it going to attack her?

The monster opened its mouth, and let out a deafening roar; the fire increased exponentially. Rena was soon encased in a cage of fire, a sort of pressure being cast upon her and not letting her move.

There was another roar followed by a blast of fire, which was shot at her. It was about to hit her when…

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><p>"Ow!" Rena yelped as her body met the floor, hitting her head and shoulders; her heart beating fast. She was panting and drops of sweat covered her forehead.<p>

Again? She looked down at her hands. It was the first time it happened since five years ago; a dream that felt so real it gave her the chills. What was the meaning of this?

Rena sat up and turned towards the watch on a table beside her bed, and was shocked to find it was 10.00 am. "Oh no!"

She immediately jumped to her feet, and dressed up, putting on a black tube top, along with black shorts, and a light brown jacket with a rolled up left sleeve. Rena put on her black stockings – which reached halfway up her thing – and short brown boots.

The girl slightly brushed her short brown hair, before running out of her room.

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><p>At the lobby, the Den was already bustling with movement. The God Eaters were already working, some going to the main desk to take missions and then leaving. Others, having arrived, went there to confirm their return – and of course, get their rewards.<p>

Rena wondered how hard 'Real' Missions were, and when she'll get to go to one. In the simulation room there wasn't must of a challenge for her, save for having to deal with a Simulated Aragami which looked similar to Ogretails…

Talk about simulation, she was late!

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><p>Rena headed for the simulation room as fast as she could; just thinking about getting punished by Tsubaki made her shiver. It couldn't be helped, and it was no like she was going to be eaten alive; but the thought still scared her.<p>

Running down the stairs, she found a 'certain' supervisor standing by the gate she was supposed to enter. The woman was tapping her foot on the floor impatiently, seemingly annoyed. The woman turned around as soon as she felt Rena's presence, a stony expression on her face. *Gulp*

"About time you showed up" Tsubaki said, a stern tone in her voice. "I wasn't expecting you to be this late. But now that you are here let's just proceed with your training"

After a quick apology, Rena went to retrieve her God Arc and entered the simulation room. An obstacle, in the shape of a tall grey cube, stood in the center of the simulation room.

She mentally prepared herself for anything that would be thrown at her – if they didn't reprimand her in person then the simulation room would be another way to do so. The enemies could use the cube-object to hide from her, and even set an ambush.

This caused girl to frown at her situation as she waited nervously for her instructions. _'Let it be only one target'_

"We will now begin the last stages of your training" she heard Tsubaki's voice through the speakers "This time you'll be destroying three moving targets. Remember your training and defeat your opponents"

Suddenly three 'fake' Ogretails popped out of nowhere, like they always did. Rena swallowed hard; she jinxed it, now there was nothing else to do but to deal with it. "Well there is no use in complaining now, huh"

Rena let out a breath, before running towards her targets. They snarled at her, before one charged forward to try and hit her. She dodged it and swung her God Arc at it as hard as she could. The 'Aragami' fell to the floor, giving one last cry before finally vanishing.

'_Two left'_ she dodged the spikes, which were shot at her. The monster raised its tail again, shooting more spikes at her. Rena dodged the attack and in mid roll she changed her Blade to a Gun and shot at the monster twice. It fell, vanishing just like the other one did.

Rena looked around searching for the last one, but couldn't find it. It must have taken advantage of the shape of the area, and most likely hid behind the cube.

"No, there is no way…" she whispered to herself, slowly walking around the object, her God Arc at the ready "There is no way it could be this smart…" Rena found herself at a loss when she could not find her target, much less hear anything.

Looking up towards the glass pane, the scientists were still watching, meaning the simulation was not over.

"Just where the hell are you…?" as if responding to the question, a shadow crept up behind her, making a chill go down her spine. She moved away in haste, barely dodging a stomp from the Aragami.

She shot at it, but missed as it moved away quickly. Rena decided to change her weapon back to a blade, and dashed toward it. It anchored its tail on the ground and used it to propel itself backward away from her blade before she could hit it.

Impossible; since when were holographic Aragami so smart!?

Rena dashed forward again, bringing her blade down on the monster's head as it steadied itself on the ground after landing. It staggered on its feet, so she took this opportunity to slash at it again. With a loud 'thud' it fell and disintegrated.

Rena's heart was beating hard against her chest, her adrenaline leaving her trembling. She kneeled down trying to catch her breath.

"You're coming along nicely" Rena stood hastily and looked up at the glass pane. "This concludes your basic combat training" she heard Tsubaki say through the speaker "You're now qualified to join the other God Eaters at front lines, make sure to work hard"

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><p>Rena walked out of the simulation room and into the main lobby. Talk about punishment; even if that was a training session <em>that<em> was a little _too_ much.

Placing a hand on her forehead, she sighed with exhaustion. Right now all she wanted was to go back to her room and rest.

Going up the stairs, she thought back to that strange dream. The realistic feeling of it still frightened her, making her wonder again if it had been a dream at all.

It would have come as a shock five years ago, scaring her to the point of not wanting to sleep. She _was_ a child back then, so it came as no surprise.

But why did they return now, of all times? Had there been a trigger? But what?

Rena shook her head, shrugging those thoughts away. She picked up the pace and headed straight to where the elevator was. In her haste to get to it, however, she forgot to look were she was going.

The girl bumped into something, or someone, and nearly lost her balance. Steadying herself she looked up to see a young man around 19-20 years old, with slightly long blonde hair and red eyes, which glared down at her. He had a red armlet on his right arm, so Rena figured he was a God Eater like her.

"Watch were you are going!" he snapped; whoever this guy was, he was definitely in a bad mood; just her luck. First Tsubaki, now this guy, just how much worse could this day get anyway?

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><p>Sorry if this chapter seemed rushed and (Extremely) short! Hope the fight part was not too confusing – though I'll admit I went too fast there.<p>

I hope you like it though. I'll upload the next chapter as soon as I can. Please review!


	5. Chapter 4

Here is Chapter 4! Again sorry for the slow uploading, I have been busy.

Rena's taking a slight break from training, before she'll be introduced into the real deal!

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><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

**What a day…**

Rena though her day couldn't get any worse. She's just come out from training hoping to get some peace, only to have such a bad encounter with a red eyed God Eater who was in no mood to hear apologies.

"Hey, Karel! Don't just leave like that!"

She hears someone call out. Turning her gaze towards the stairs, she saw another teen with messy pink (or was it light purple? Probably a bit of both) hair. He wore a black cap turned to the side and a green sweater with a white, downed hood.

He was holding some papers in his hands, and looked like he had just found a map to a hidden treasure. He stopped before the blond, who she supposed was the one named Karel, and showed him the documents.

"Look I got us another mission. This time for sure!"

Karel, who seemed to still be in a foul mood, grabbed the papers and read them. He grunted handing them back "Yeah and you better not screw up this time! Shun" he said, still angry. Did something bad happen? She wondered.

Shun sent him a look that said 'hey! It's not my fault!' before turning to her, finally noticing her presence "Who's this? A newbie?"

"Y-Yes" she said, "I'm Rena. Nice to meet you"

Shun gave a little chuckle, before opening his mouth to speak. But was interrupted "We don't have time for introductions" Karel snapped, shaking them both. "I'm leaving"

How rude! Hadn't they taught this guy to show some politeness and not interrupt people like that! What's his problem anyway! Rena unconsciously glared daggers at the back of Karel's head as he went out through the gate and disappeared.

Shun looked slightly dumbfounded by his 'companion's sudden outburst. He let it slide and turned back to her "So you are a rookie, uh?"

"Well anyway" he started "My name's Shun Ogawa. And you better know who's senior here" he said proudly, with a tone that Rena was sure she disliked.

"What the heck are you waiting for!" Karel's voice could be heard from afar. Can someone give this guy a chill pill? "Damn it quit yelling at me! You're not my boss!" and with that Shun left.

Rena stood there, watching as the gates closed behind him. Talk about first impression! Judging by their behavior towards her, they'll sure be a pain in the neck. Especially that Blondie! Who does he think he is!

"Don't mind them too much" she heard someone say, and turned around. A teen around her age with auburn hair, wearing a yellow chullo hat with a matching yellow vest, with a black short shirt underneath.

He also had yellow-orange baggy bermuda pants, with orange shoes with black linings. What's with this guy and yellow? That's what popped into her mind.

"They always go around buggy those who are new" he smiled at her "my name is Kota Fujiki, nice to meet cha'"

"Yeah" she said, feeling relieved at meeting someone with a happy aura around "It's nice to meet you too" Rena gave a slight bow before turning to the gate "Who were they?"

"They are just guys who like to by any new recruits whenever they get the chance" Kota said shortly, "They're not that much of a threat, though. So don't let what they say get to ya"

"Right" so long as they don't get on her nerves again, she though. Rena wouldn't want to work alongside people who would always annoy her, especially it was a crowd. And two was enough.

"Oh crap" she heard Kota say. He clapped his hands in front of him, as if in apology "Sorry just remembered I have somewhere to go right now. See you around!" and he was off, heading for the elevator.

She waved a hand as the elevator doors closed behind him. Looking at the big clock on the other side of the room, she noticed something. It was time for lunch.

* * *

><p>Rena walked out of the shower and dressed up. Putting on a white tank top and grey short pants, before she dropped on the bed like a log<p>

She took a bunch of papers that lay on the table beside her, and proceeded to read them. They were instructions given to her by Tsubaki, about the new mission she 'might' get anytime soon.

So, they issue mission on you as soon as your training's finished? Great, that meant not much time to rest. Hopefully she won't have to go to that new mission until tomorrow. She wasn't in full gear yet.

Instructions about the 'daily injections' where there too; it was a process all God Eater 'Must' go through everyday, and she was no exception.

Rena sighted, and put the papers back to their original place.

Rena hated needles. She didn't know why, but the moment she saw one a horrible feeling shook her body. Some people told her it was normal to be afraid, and that she would get over it with time.

Years passed, however, and she still couldn't stand the sight of a syringe. At that point, people got to the conclusion of it being caused by 'trauma'.

Now she 'had' to get injected every day, and it wasn't optional which made her shrug. Trauma from what? She didn't know. She had no recollection of ever being subjected to such a thing, and hoped it had never happened…

Rena shook her head, trying not to think about it too much. _Get it together!_ She though to herself, _now's not the time to get all scared!_

Reaching for her bag, she pulled out a small, metalic bracelet. Rena lay back down, her head resting on the pillow, reading the words engraved on the metal: F*o* **n to Rena. There was a burn on it that blocked the first few words, but it was clear that someone had given this to her as a gift and wrote it down on the metal (somehow).

But who could have done this? she always wondered. Frustrated, she closed the hand which held the item and held it close to her heart. Why couldn't she remember?

Closing her eyes, she started humming a song. It was a song she knew since she couldnt remember anything at all, like it had been engraved in her memories and it wouldnt leave. It was nostalgic, and soon she fell asleep, silence filling the room.

* * *

><p>The injections weren't as painful as she though. The needle was connected to the small hole on the top of the armlet, and with that they administered the daily doses of what would be called 'Aragami Cells'. 'If you didn't get them, or got too much, then you'll be in trouble' is what the doctor had told her.<p>

Still, Rena had to muster a lot of will power to stay still as the process was done. The mere sight of the needle made her shiver, and she almost fainted. Once done, she'd thanked the doctor, and walked out. As soon as the door closed behind her, she made a 'run' for the elevator as if her life depended on it.

Rena slightly smacked the sides of her face with both hands, trying to shake the fear away. Sheesh why did she have to cower before such trivial things! Pull it together!

* * *

><p>Well the chapter was sort of short too. Hopefully I didn't rush the story too much here. There was no action here whatsoever. Sorry about that.<p>

I did introduce a few characters, though. So anyway, here is the fourth chapter, hope you enjoy it! :D Please review!


	6. Chapter 5

Here is Chapter 5! Once again I apologize for the VERY slow updating.

I bought a new laptop recently, and had to transfer some of the files I had on my old comp to this one (save that my external hard drive was giving me issues the whole time ). Need to find a way to get it fixed.

Also this chapter contains spoilers for those who haven't finished the game.

So anyway, here is the new chapter. First mission! Please enjoy.

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><p><strong>Chapter 5<strong>

**Ogretails**

Rena sat on a bench, near the front desk, waiting. She'd been told to head for the main lobby, file the mission documents and wait for her instructions.

She was told the leader of the First Unit would accompany her on a small cleanup mission, something perfect for a rookie like her. He was late, however, by almost half an hour. What the hell was taking this guy so long?

Rena closed her eyes impatiently, and wondered if the mission had been canceled and that's why he wasn't coming. Her questions were answered by approaching steps. She looked up and saw a tall man with black hair and green eyes.

His appearance reminded her of Tsubaki for a moment, was he a relative of hers? May be it was just her imagination… Just then she caught sight of his right arm. It was dark with some red, with five clawed fingers and a core on top of the hand. There were some spikes – or were they feathers? – protruding from the forearm and ending by the elbow. An Aragami arm?

Something flashed in her mind, and she couldn't help but feel she'd seen an arm like that before. But where?

"Sorry I'm late" he apologized, "So you're the new recruit!" it didn't seem like a question, but neither a comment. Rena stood up and gave a light bow.

"Yes, my name is Rena" she said politely "Nice to meet you"

"My name is Lindow Amamiya, and I'm your superior officer" he introduced himself, the last name finally making the connection between the guy and the advisor. "Anyway, I'll be sending you right into battle. I'll be accompanying you on this mission, in case something happens" the last words sounded a bit hushed, as if he hadn't meant to say these. She didn't mind though, the more the merrier.

He turned to look at the big clock on the wall and shrugged a little, "Anyway, we better head out now. We're pretty late as it is" Rena gave a nod, and soon they boarded a copter that would take them to their destination.

When they arrived, Rena gave a small groan of annoyance. The Forgotten City, just great. Hopefully a certain 'brat' had learned his lesson and stayed back home, she though grimly. "Something the matter?" she heard Lindow ask, and quickly shook her head.

"So, we're gonna start the simulation now" he started, his face getting serious "You've got three orders: Don't die. If your number's up, get out. Lastly, hide. If you're lucky catch the enemy off-guard and blast it…" he stopped. Weren't those four orders?

"Wait…" he rubbed the side of his head with right arm, that's when it hit her. He didn't have a God Arc, what is up with that? "Was that four?"

Rena stood there thinking, before something came up her mind "What happens if you can't follow any of those orders?" it can happen, after all.

"Then, there is only one order for you to follow" Lindow gave her a determined look, as if the question had reminded him of something important "Don't run away from living, don't ever give up, you must 'all' come back alive including yourself"

Rena was slightly taken aback, 'all'? Either he was referring to himself, or he was referring to… The God Arc?

He motioned his right arm, stretching it out, and suddenly dark red tendrils came out of the hand. They stretched, shifted and then joined together forming a big saw like sword. He must have heard her gasp for he asked "Sorry, did that scare you?"

Rena shook her head "N-No, of course not. I was just… a little surprised that's all". She felt guilt welling up inside her, so she looked down not meeting his eye.

"Hey don't worry about it" Lindow said in a carefree way, as if trying to comfort her "Wouldn't be the first time someone's reacted like that, and I can't blame you for it"

Rena looked up; she didn't seem convinced about him not caring, but didn't say anything. She chose to change the conversation "So, what's our target again?" judging by the way he relaxed, he must have been relieved that no more questions were asked about his arm.

"Well, it's a small cleanup operation" he explained "Our target is an Ogretail that's been causing some trouble around here. Perfect target for starters"

An Ogretail, huh? How many times has she seen one of those during her small rescue missions, back in the day? Too many, and she was getting bored out of her mind of them. She sighed; well there is no point in complaining. It was an Aragami after all, and an enemy to all human kind. And it was hers and every God Eater's job to eliminate them.

Besides, if she told anyone about her little detours before she joined Fenrir, they would surely scold her for it or think she was nuts.

"Alright then" Lindow swung the weapon over his shoulder "let's get this show on the road!" with that they jumped off the check point, and went out to search.

Though the place was familiar to her, it still took her sometime to locate were they were due to how they got there. Lindow walked in front, with Rena a little ways behind, turning this way and that, cautiously looking around in case the target caught them off guard.

A roar was heard, "This way" Lindow motioned for them to go right, by an old church. There he peeked out of the corner and told her to stop with a motion of his hand. In front of them was a small clearing, a mountain of debris some ways away, and in the middle of it their target.

Its white skull-like armor stood out in the desolated area, and it was looking around with blank eyes. It seemed hungry, like any other Aragami would be.

"Alright, I'll go and catch its attention" he explained "while you sneak up on it and strike it down. Understand?" Rena gave a nod, and they split up.

Rena took the right, and Lindow the left, rounding the mountain of debris. Just when she reached the corner, she did the worst thing that could possibly be done. She leaned in on a piece of metal protruding from the debris, trying to take a peek out to see if the monster was still there, only for that metal to snap and fall down on the ground with a loud 'clank!'. She cursed under her breath as she heard heavy footsteps approaching her location, fast.

They didn't get very far, however, for there was some shooting coming from the other side. Rena caught a glimpse of the Aragami's tail as it turned around and roared; it had gotten so close it startled her.

Cursing at her clumsiness, she readied her sword and charged out. Lindow was dodging a blow from the Aragami's tail, while still shooting. Bullets of light shooting out from the front end of the sword he had, hitting the monster straight in the face making it stumble backwards.

Rena sneaked up to its side, and swung her sword down on the target's back. The Ogretail fell backwards, and Rena took the chance to use "Devour" on it. She leaned back, holding her God Arc close. The sword retracted while a mouth grew out of the God Arc, the sword looking as though it was a tongue.

She plunged the weapon forward, and it bit down on the Aragami. When she pulled away, the girl felt a surge of energy run through her body, feeling stronger. The Aragami stood up, as if nothing happened, and bared its fangs at them.

Lindow came at its side, and slashed at the beast effectively knocking it back down. Rena, using her newfound strength, gave the Ogretail a strong hit. This time it roared and then fell still on the ground.

Rena steadied herself, trying to still her breathing, and observed as Lindow approached the target "After defeating an enemy" he started. "You must extract the core with your God Arc" he motioned for her to come closer.

"Use Devour on it" Rena followed the instructions, releasing the mouth from her weapon. It bit down on the Ogretail's chest, chewed, and then pulled away. "It is a tough job to retrieve a core unharmed" he explained. "But once it's done, it can be used for many things. One of them is to make new God Arcs"

* * *

><p>I finally finished it, I hope you like the chapter. Tried hard, figuring out how to introduce Lindow to my OC and how they interact during the first mission. Hope you enjoyed it!<p>

I did some changes in the previous chapter, and the fanfic review. Just to let you know in case you ask.


	7. Chapter 6

Here goes chapter 6!

This chapter is focused on the theory lessons, which are usually given by Sakaki, but not this time and 'someone' will explain why. Also there will a small encounter with Licca, along with the show of a 'certain New-Type God Eater's God arc.

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><p><strong>Chapter 6<strong>

**Lesson 1 Aragami**

"About time you got here" Sophia stood in the center of the Laboratory, reading some papers grouped inside a yellow folder, "Sit down, we'll be starting the theoretical lessons now"

Rena sat down at the edge of a couch to her left, and listened intently. Right after returning from her first mission, she was told to head for the Lab where her theory lessons would be held.

She hadn't expected there to be lessons, theory at that, to be taught here at the Den. _Well, I suppose muscle is not all that's needed to be a God Eater_. There was some logic in it, and there could come a time when theory may be useful to save one's life.

"Usually that idiot Paylor is the one giving these lectures" Sophia spoke with annoyance. Did the woman have some sort of grudge on the director? "But I'll be taking his place in this, for a while"

The woman walked towards a desk nearby, and put down the folder on top. Next she took a long metal baton (a pointer) and turned back to face Rena.

"Let's get straight to the point: What is an Aragami?" Sophia asked, giving her back to the girl and playing around with the object in her hands. Rena didn't quite know how to answer, and shrugged a little when the only response she could think of was 'monster'.

"They are our enemies…?" The girl expected the scientist to reprimand her for not giving a full answer, but didn't get scolded. Sophia just nodded a little, seeming to have expected more but didn't mind it.

"They are, in short, humankind's worst enemy. Predators that will consume anything that stands in their way, no matter what it is" Sophia faced her again, giving a swing to the baton and using it to point at Rena.

For a moment Rena though the object would bend, or even snap, due to how rough the motion had been. Though the woman did seem like she was trying to hit something on purpose, and Rena sweat dropped at the thought. "Another question: how and why the Aragami came into being?"

Now that was something Rena didn't have an answer to, not even a short one. But Sophia didn't seem to be expecting an answer from her, which irritated her a little. Was she looking down on her?

"Aragami are beings that appeared out of the blue one day. Since that time, their numbers have increased exponentially" Sophia walked across the room, very concentrated in what she was saying. "Any evolutional process means nothing to these beings"

"At first sight, you may think an Aragami as a whole. But they aren't" Rena blinked in confusion, "Aragami are not just one being. They are a cluster of millions of thousand – even more – cells bound together into one being"

"All of these cells are bound together by a core, which could also be called their center of command" Sophia kept talking; her voice seemed to become a distant echo as Rena's mind wandered somewhere else.

"_Enemies_, she though, _"That's right, the Aragami are our enemies…"_

An image of Lindow came to her mind, _"So then why? His arm is that of an Aragami, our enemies. Does this mean he's one of them?"_

Rena immediately shook her head, _"No! I can't think like that! He's a friend, not an enemy!"_ Again the image of the mutated arm appeared; she shrugged, remembering that strange feeling of nostalgia when she saw it.

"_Why? Why do I feel like I've see an arm like that before?"_ She put fisted hand over her chest, where her heart was. She tried to concentrate, trying to seek out any memory of such an encounter. Nothing… Her mind was blank.

"_Could I have met someone with the same condition…? Before I lost my memory?"_ It made sense, for she couldn't remember. However, memory loss was said to not last long (especially her case they had said) and that one would remember their past, slowly but surely.

Hers, however, has lasted over five years with no good results. The only thing she's managed to remember is falling into the ocean, and then ending up in a beach where she was found and brought into the hospital wing. She had burns all over her arms and legs, and a heavy cut on her forehead, just above her left eyebrow.

She put a hand over the place, feeling the thin line of slightly rough skin. She had another scar, a big one right above where her heart was, but it seemed she had received it long before anything she could recall for it was completely healed. Where those injuries the cause? And what caused them?

Trauma could be another possibility, they had told her. But unless you encountered a person or object or where in a situation similar to the one that cause the loss of memory, nothing would happen. _Could it be... that it's something I don't want to remember?_ Rena furrowed her brows, her head was hurting.

She was about to give up, when something in her mind flicked. It was a boy, around 13 or so and had a hand stretched out to her. The hand seemed sort of stranger, but she could make out anything else for the image was too blurry for her to notice any details.

Rena's eyes widened a little, a feeling of recognition welling up inside her. _Who was that? Was it someone I knew?_

"– and that is the main reason why they received the name 'Aragami'" Sophia's voice and the sound of something hitting the table in front of her brought Rena back to reality, and she looked at the woman with a startled look on her face.

"Lecture's over" the woman said, pushing her glassed up with one finger "You were dozing off, were you not?" her tone of voice was serious.

"N-No" Rena couldn't help but stutter, "'I-I was paying attention'" she tried to smile, but it came out strained and unconvincing.

"You" she pointed her baton at Rena "Are an awful liar"

Rena hung her head, "Sorry"

"For next time, pay more attention, and review everything given in this lesson on the Norn database" Sophia said calmly, pushing her glassed up again, the serious look on her faced didn't falter. "I'm not like that eccentric Sakaki. So if you don't come prepared for the next lesson, there will be consequences"

The way she said the last words made Rena shiver and not in a good way…

* * *

><p>I'm so sorry for the delay! I had many things to do, not to mention I haven't been in 'God Eater Mode' for quite some time, until now. Still I should have updated sooner, so I apologize for the delay.<p>

The chapter doesn't seem that long, three pages, and I revealed a little about Rena. Also in the first chapter (I think) I said she was fifteen, but she isn't. She's actually 16 (During the entire story – present of course), a mistake I made for writing so fast, and one I overlooked. And her hair is now a standard (slightly dark) brown, with uneven ends - chin lenght short hair - and the (side) bangs being slightly longer.

I got a deviant art account, TORAGE, and I have already posted a drawing of her there. So If you'd like to check it out I'll send you the link through e-mail.

I hope I made the chapter enjoyable, please Comments!


	8. Chapter 7

I'm so sorry for the LONG delay! It's just that lately I haven't had the inspiration to continue writing. But now that I'm back, I'll do my best in updating faster. So anyway, I noticed I haven't mentions certain characters into the story (Such as Brendan, Licca, Hibari, Gen, etc.), so I'm going to get into that soon. There are a couple of them in this chapter, so anyway: Here goes chapter 7!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 7<strong>

**Nightmare's Eye**

The main lobby was mostly empty, save for the merchant by the main desk, and Hibari who was attempting to get Tatsumi to tell her what Rena supposed was the feedback from his mission, to no avail.

Still trying to go out with Hibari, was he? Rena walked down the metallic stairs, and stood by the front desk waiting for the God Eater to leave. He said a quick 'hi' to Rena before he went up the opposite staircase; after he left, Rena addressed Hibari.

"Oh, good morning Rena" the red haired spoke in a friendly tone, though sounding slightly surprised "You're up early today"

Rena lightly scratched her cheek with a finger, "Yeah, I figured it would be better to arrive earlier here, just to stay safe" _because I tend to oversleep?_ Rena though with a slight frown. After a few seconds of silence, Rena proceeded to explain about her upcoming mission that day.

"A mission alongside Lindow and Kota, was it?" Hibari seemed to have known about it, for it didn't take long before she confirmed the data about the mission. Rena nodded, "All is set. The First Unit Leader and Kota will arrive shortly, so please wait until more instructions come" Hibari gave a little bow, a customary gesture to show politeness; Rena did the same with her head before she walked towards the chairs right beside the staircase.

As she was about to sit down she heard a groan, along with the sound of approaching footsteps to her left, and she stopped her actions. She was a little surprised to see Gen, coming down the stairs looking as though he hadn't slept.

"Another nightmare?" she said before thinking, earning a blank look from the retired God Eater. She had met Gen a few days back, when she was still training. She had been quite curious about why his armlet looked all patched up, and asked him about it.

However, that little question evolved into a long dialogue, where Gen started talking about his old days as a God Eater and how he retired due to an injury he received. A Susano'o was it? Sounded like a character from an old legend she heard of as a child, but now that she thought about it, it must be the name of an Aragami. And a very dangerous one from what she was told by the old man.

Why give such a creature the name of a fairy tale hero? That was something she would never understand, and it seemed kind of sad.

The man stood there for a moment, before smiling a little, closing his eyes as if in deep though. "Yeah, the same as usual" he said before sitting down, keeping his distance.

"Though so" Rena muttered. After a while of knowing him, Gen had told her about the recurring nightmares he had, about how he was attacked and subsequently eaten by an Aragami.

It didn't take much imagination to know how terrifying those dreams were, her own nightmare seemed to pale in comparison. She had never spoken of it, though, and though it would be better that way. No need to worry others with things like that, at least not yet.

Rena leaned forward with her elbows resting on her lad, and peered at Gen. "Any difference from the rest? I mean, you can't tell me you die in all the nightmares" she was very straightforward with that question, and she wondered if she'd said too much.

It didn't seem to bother the retired man, who just leaned back on the seat and sighed "Nah, still the same end. Though this time I woke up before the Aragami's jaws closed on my head" meaning no changes at all.

"That's too bad" the old man chuckled, and she arched an eyebrow.

"You think?" he turned to her, "So, how does it feel, to be on the real battlefield?" quick change of subject, smart move.

"It was alright" she straightened up, her eyes set on her hands "Fighting real Aragami was harder than I thought"

"Yeah the simulation never really gives you much of what a real battle is like, though it's mostly for the safety of the new recruits ya know. Don't want to lose them before they become real God Eaters"

"Makes sense" If the simulated Aragami were to be put in the level of a real one, it would sure be tougher to proceed with one's training. And you would also get hurt, which is not exactly what the superiors want. "Still, it would help a lot if they told us a real Ogretail was a lot tougher" she pushed her cheeks, her brows furrows in stubbornness.

The man gave a good hearted chuckle, "Well, you'll see Ogretails are not the only Aragami you'll have to fight against" she eyed him with little surprise, of course she knew that. "Wait until you see a Vajra, you'll see an Ogretail's strength severely pales in comparison to something like that"

"I sure hope I don't see one of those" they are said to be very dangerous.

"You'll see one, as soon as you become a better fighter" a familiar voice made Rena's head snap up. Lindow was standing in front of her – more like in front of the little table before her, but anyway. "You're here early" she stated, earning a surprised look from her Leader.

He made a scowl, "Hey!" that sounded otherwise good natured as usual. After rubbing his temple, he quickly changed from that to a more serious tone "Are you ready for your next mission?" he asked.

Rena stood up and gave a nod "Of course" soon after, the sound of rushing footsteps could be heard and they all turned in direction of the source.

A familiar teen with a yellow cap was running towards them, pulling the brakes as soon as he noticed the table in front of him. He didn't crash into it, thank goodness, although he looked as though he had ran a marathon.

"Yo!" he greeted them, the look on his face not showing much of his tiredness "Hey, I know you, you are that girl I met the other day. Rena was it?"

Rena turned to him "Yes" she smiled

"Looks like we're on a mission together, uh?" he was cheerful, much too cheerful. Did something good happen? "That's great!" it was the second time they've met, and he acted as though they knew each other for a long time.

"I see the two of you know each other already" Lindow commended beside them, and they both turned to him. "Looks like there is no need for introductions then"

"Well I'll be on my way" this time Gen spoke, standing up from his seat. He turned to Rena, "Remember not to underestimate an Aragami, not matter how weak some may look" he said shortly, and Rena responded with a nod "Good luck on this mission" he took his leave.

"Are you two friends already?" Kota asked, a little disbelieving.

"Well, something like that" the brunette answered, with her arms behind her back "He's given me advice before"

"I see, that's good"

"Well, we better get going" Lindow's voice made the two teens turn to him. "Time to start hunting down those Aragami"

"Alright!" "Yes sir!" both Kota and Rena said, respectively. The three of them left to get their God Arcs, and then headed for the Gate, where a copter was waiting for them to hop in.

They departed for the City of Mercy.

* * *

><p>The area was seemingly deserted, like usual.<p>

The wind was the only sound around and there was an eerie feeling to the place that just wouldn't leave you alone.

Rena stood in the rendezvous point, with Kota and Lindow's position forming a sort of triangle. Lindow spoke to them about their current mission.

"Today we'll be hunting some Cocoon Maidens along with a Zygone that has been reported to be in the same area" his expression suddenly got serious "However, since there has been an increase in the number of small Aragami lately, we have to be on guard"

"An increase?" Rena asked, she didn't hear of this.

"It happens once in a while. Not that it's a good thing or anything" Kota was the one to answer her question, "If we are careful enough, everything will be fine"

Rena gave a nod.

"Alright, let's move out!" Lindow ordered, summoning his God arc. She subconsciously flinched, it was kind of hard to get used to the sight of that. "Don't forget to have your shields ready. And if you can't seem to be able to handle it or are separated, just call for help with a flare"

With that, they jumped off the ledge and entered the quiet City of Mercy.

* * *

><p>After a while of searching, though, it seemed as though their targets had… Disappeared? For real there was no sight of any Aragami around here! Not even a trace.<p>

Rounding another corner of one of the buildings – for the fifteenth time – we came into a huge opening that in other times would have been either a plaza or a sort of park. It was quite near their starting point, it seemed, since she could already see a bit of the Cathedral nearby. Meaning they had probably explored most of the area.

Yet there was still no sign of the enemy, save for a few bloodstains here and there. Something was not right, and the others seemed to feel it too.

Lindow moved a little ahead of them, weapon ready for anything that could pop out of the blue. He seemed to have heard something. Soon, though Rena saw why after peering around the corner.

Hovering in the center of the opening was one of their targets: the Zygone.

"There it is" his whispered to them "It won't be easy to sneak up on it, though"

Zygones had extremely good sight and hearing. They were able to find anything by the merest sound, even speaking could draw its attention. Yet, was it acting like it hadn't heard them.

A strange feeling of uneasiness settled itself in Rena's chest, as if something was not right even thought they had found their target. Then, a question arose in her head. "Where are the Cocoon Maidens?"

This drew the attention of her companions almost immediately "Even though we have searched, this is the only Aragami we have found… Something… is not… right" she felt strange, and not in a good way. "We have to leave…" she murmured, her shoulder shaking.

"Are you alright?" she heard Kota ask. She gave a forced nod, "You sure?" this time it was Lindow who spoke. She saw him approach her from the corner of her eye, his face showing concern.

"We could always call the mission off if you're not feeling well…" he sounded as though that wasn't the best idea. They were hunting Aragami that could become a potential threat if left along for even a moment.

Rena shook her head "I'm fine really!"

Just as she said that, though, the sound of a wall being crushed startled them. It was followed by a strong eerie roar, and they all turned around to see what its source was.

Poking out of a huge hole in the building to their right was an Aragami she hadn't seen before. It was standing on all fours, arms seemingly longer that its back legs, with a long thick tail that looked like that of a lizard. Four green lines carved into the tip of its tail, which seemed to glow as it swayed it around.

Its head was like that of a sort of lizard, yet at the same time it was not due to how flat its 'face' looked. It looked as though it wore a grey mask, judging by the way its eye peeked out from beneath it.

There, she noticed its skin was pitch black, with a line of fur running up its spine and forming a sort of mane just were the back connected with its semi long neck.

Not a Vajra as far as she knew.

It gave another roar, the mask seeming to split as it opened its mouth, before it jumped off the hole and landed in the open area. The Zygone that had been keeping guard there, gave a cry before it was stroked by a clawed hand. It fell to the ground, unmoving.

The strange monster took this chance to pounce on its 'prey', sinking its long teeth into it. It was eating their target, and if Rena guessed right, it was probably the one responsible for the bloodstains they had found earlier.

"This is bad" she heard Lindow speak, though it seemed distant. Her eyes were completely focused on the strange Aragami, feeling a foreign, yet familiar feeling coming from it. Had she met this guy somewhere before?

The monster soon stood there, sniffing at the empty ground where its 'food' had once been, and then raised its head to sniff at the air. It then looked around, and for a split seconds their eyes met.

Blank yellow eyes bore into Rena's brown ones, a sickening knot feeling forming in her stomach. An image of a stranger in a lab coat holding out a hand, which later held a syringe to her, appeared in her mind before disappearing soon after.

Rena's head started hurting, however, and she felt awfully dizzy.

Holding her head in her hands, she saw the faces of her companions, and the monster walking away in the opposite direction from them, in a blur.

Her headache got stronger, and soon… Everything went black…

* * *

><p>Rena: so… There was literally no mission<p>

Wystern: yeah, but at least we managed to show one of my Aragami OCs here XD

Rena: and that makes you happy…? -_- I FAINTED! That is not something to be happy about!

Wystern: Anyway, I hope you find this chapter interesting. Need to work on some on the next one now, and I will try as much as I can to update as soon as possible!


	9. Chapter 8

Here is chapter 8! I played God Eater Burst again, and I think it's about time to introduce a mayor character for this fan fiction! And no it's not an OC.

Rena: Don't spoil them! Give some mystery!

Wystern: I can't help it! And besides you are the one seeing him!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 8<strong>

**A Familiar Face**

The first thing Rena noticed was the smell of chemicals, like the ones in a hospital. When she opened her eyes, she was greeted with a white roof with lights that were on for most of the day. She was laying on something soft, probably a bed, with her head resting on a pillow.

Turning her head around, Rena started wondering how she had gotten there. Sitting up, she cringed at the splitting headache that struck her, forcing her to lie back down.

Last she remembered, Lindow, Kota and her were sent on a mission to find some small Aragami. They didn't find anything, though, and the reason was… _what was it?_

Brining a hand up to her forehead, she tried hard to remember. _There was something there…_ but what?

She tried to sit up again, and this time she didn't feel anything. She swung her legs over the edge of the hospital bed, and put her hand back on her head. There was something there, _it had eaten our targets… _but what was it?

Standing up, Rena noticed she didn't have her shoes with her, and looked around for them. She found them to her left and put them on, thinking hard as she secured the buckle holding the shoe up past her ankles. Why couldn't she recall that thing?

Pushing open the curtains, she saw there was practically no one around, so she decided to leave. The scent of chemicals bothered her, making her stomach tighten in an unpleasant knot.

Outside of the infirmary, the hallway was empty. What time was it? How long had she been out anyway? Walking towards the elevator, she pressed the button to call for it and waited. Her mind still drifting back to that one thing she couldn't remember.

Rena crossed her arms, closed her eyes, her eyebrows forming a frown at how hard she was trying to process the events at the City of Mercy. "Ok" she said, talking to herself. She opened her eyes and held a hand in front of her, using the other one's index finger to count. Like how a child does when they can't keep up with or need to use a reference on summing and such. "Step 1: we went on a mission to defeat some Aragami" she pushed her left hand's index finger with the right hand's, that was number one.

"Step 2: we didn't find anything, save for those trails of blood" she shrugged at remembering that. She pushed the middle finger next, number two.

"Step 3: We found the one responsible…. Right?" her hand halfheartedly pushed the other finger before her aim strayed at the obvious fact that she couldn't recall. Rena frowned before giving a frustrated cry, before going quiet at seeing how loud she had been.

"Why?" she put a hand on her forehead "Why can't I remember?"

There was a 'beep' sound, signaling that the elevator had arrived, completely interrupting her train of though. As the metal doors closed behind her, she tried again, but found she couldn't concentrate, so she gave up.

"I'll ask the others" it was easier, though she felt embarrassed at being so forgetful about something so important. Pressing one of the buttons, to the main lobby, the machine moved and she leaned back on the metal wall.

After a few seconds the elevator stopped, but not where she had told it to. "Veterans Floor?" was there someone who had called it from there? She hoped it was Lindow, that way she wouldn't have to go all the way to the first floor to search for him.

If it wasn't, then she'll have to go on a hunt for Kota, her other mission partner. But where he ran off to, was something she didn't know. She didn't know him that well.

The metal doors opened, and Rena's hopes sank when the person standing before the elevator was neither Lindow nor Kota – was he even in this floor for that matter?

Standing before her stood a tanned young man with pale – was it blond? – hair, which was almost completely hidden by the dark blue hood of his jacket. He wore a yellow shirt with a black tie wrapped loosely around the collar. He had dark green baggy pants with blue-grey shoes, and fingerless gloves the same color as his jacket. There was a red armlet on his right arm. A God Eater.

"_You alright?"_ Rena shook her head, trying to drive the memory away. It couldn't be _him_, right?

"Using the elevator?" she asked, great going by stating the obvious.

"What does it look like…?" the young man answered, sounding as though he was in a bad mood. Rena shrugged and stepped aside, to give him some space as he walked inside, the metal doors closing before them.

_Awkward!_, her mind screamed, the air around her getting suddenly heavy. She was along, with a guy, who didn't seem to be the friendly type.

"So you are a veteran" obvious again! Rena felt stupid, her hands going behind her back. "Do you" she started, stuttering a little "Do you by any chance know Lindow?" better to ask now than never. He was a veteran, so maybe he should probably know something.

"He's the leader of our unit, of course I know him" was he mad, he sure didn't look like it, but his tone of voice. Rena swallowed before speaking again. Our Unit?

"Are you from the 1st Unit too?" he didn't answer, probably thinking it was an obvious question. She felt silent for a moment before continuing "Do you know where I can find our Leader, or Kota, for that matter?" at the momentary silence, she figured he either didn't know or was thinking about it.

"They headed out on a mission this morning"

Rena's heart sank, hanging her head. She slumped back to the wall, as if feeling like she was gonna die. "Of all the things, why now?"

She noticed the momentary look of puzzlement he gave her, and straightened up. Silence fell over them, and Rena felt even more awkward. Rena took a deep breath, counted to ten and then spoke up. "Um…"

"Yeah?"

"I-I didn't catch your name" not that he had said in the first place. She held a hand out to him, though he looked at it uncertainly, not taking it, so she retreated "I'm R-Rena. What's your name?" why was she stuttering all of a sudden!?

There was silence, and Rena felt like an idiot… again!

"Soma…"

"Uh?"

"I said it's Soma" did she make him angry? She shrugged. The guy was suddenly in though, before speaking. "Ah… You are that rookie, aren't you?" Rena jumped at the question, 'that rookie'? She looked at him questioningly "The one that fainted in the middle of a mission?"

Rena felt her jaw drop in horror; she felt her cheeks get warm. Seriously, of all the things to hear from a stranger, why something like that? Wait… middle of a mission? "You know about the mission I was in?"

"The failed mission?" wait, failed!?

"W-What do you mean failed?" he gave Rena a look that told her she was being loud, "Sorry…" this made him turn to her in puzzlement.

"Why are you apologizing?"

"Well…" she was at a loss of words, what was she supposed to say?

_*…zyz!*_

"….!" Rena felt her head hurt suddenly, forcing her to lean back on the wall while holding her forehead. "…Ow…"

"Hey!" the God Eater – Soma was it? – seemed to raise his guard at her behavior. "Something the matter?"

_*"You alright?" a young kid with tanned skin gave her a look of worry…*_

She waved the question off "I'm… fine" her headache slowly going away. "It's… gone now" Rena peered at him from the corner of her eye. Now that she thought about it, he looked kind of familiar… _Could it be? No there's no way… If he is who I think he is, then…_ he would probably know her. But he didn't.

He seemed confused, but turned away from her as soon as the elevator stopped. The doors opened, and he walked out. She walked out soon after, the doors closing behind her.

"Well… See you sometime…" she waved at him, however she had said it in such a low voice that maybe he didn't hear her for keep walking ahead.

In the lobby, she saw Soma walk past one of the God Eaters standing near the stairs. Brendan, with his short grey hair and blue jacket, stood there as stern looking as ever. Though she knew he was a kind person.

"Good day" she greeted him. She said 'day' since she didn't know what time it was.

Brendan turned to greet her, smiling for a moment "Greetings" before getting serious again. Was there something bothering him?

"Are you alright?"

"I am, but I'm not so sure about the current situation" Brendan was a member of the Defense Unit, so there were probably quite a few things that he had to worry about. But… for some reason his tone didn't sound very reassuring…

"Current situation?"

He gave a nod "There have been sightings of a New-Type Aragami roaming near the Outer Ghetto" A New-Type near the Ghetto? That can't be good. "Some members of our Unit were told to investigate, but they haven't returned since three days ago since it was first seen"

"Wait three days?" she needed to know, she had to know. Just how long had she been out? Why was the branch so empty?

"It was first sited by the 1st Unit three days ago. It was a black Aragami" There Rena felt her blood go cold…

There, everything came back to her… That black monster… Its blank eye so eerie it made her skin crawl…

* * *

><p>Another chapter… And I'm seriously not sure why I named the chapter like that. Sorry, tell me if makes sense or not, please? As you can see there was a time-skip here. You'll see what happens on the next chapter. NOTE: it's important!<p>

Also I hope I kept Soma in Character, since it's my first time writing about him. If there are any details that I should edit please tell me.

Rena: so I was out… FOR THREE DAYS!?

Wystern: quit complaining! It's my story, and how it goes it's my decision.


	10. Chapter 9

Here is chapter 9! For those who wanted to know about the Fallen New-Type hinted in Chapter 2 – by Sophia and Sakaki – there is a little clue about it here. So look forward to it!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 9<strong>

**Memory of the Fallen**

Rena sat on one of the couches in the main lobby of the Den, thinking back on the conversation she'd had with Brendan not ten minutes ago, a pink can of juice in her hands.

"A black Aragami sighted near the Outer Ghetto…" she mumbled to herself. Was it possible it was THAT one Aragami she and her group had seen back in the City of Mercy?

Rena leaned forward and looked down at the can she was holding. That Aragami "How could I have forgotten something like that?" that eye, for some reason it seemed eerily familiar. She brought a hand to her face "But where…"

Rena took a sip of the juice, trying to concentrate. But her thoughts strayed away, no matter how hard she tried. "Really Rena you're hopeless" she said to herself, taking another sip.

"Rena!" a familiar voice called to her, and she turned in direction of the source. It was Kota; he came from the Gates, and ran to her. "You're awake!"

"Yeah, I am"

"We were so worried when you passed out like that! Are you feeling alright?" the way he put it made it sound as though she was sick.

"I'm alright! More importantly, I heard there was an Aragami roaming near the Ghetto" she almost dropped the can she was holding when she jumped at him with those questions. "Is it by any chance the one we saw the other day?" Kota's expression suddenly changed into that of someone who has remembered a horrible nightmare. Rena was taken aback, and held a hand out for him, to comfort him, when suddenly…

"The Units are looking into it right now" a stern voice spoke up this time. She saw Kota flinch and run to hide behind her, as if he'd seen a ghost.

Coming up the stairs was Tsubaki, holding her clipboard in one hand while the other one rested by her hip. She seemed stressed, "I see you made it out of the infirmary"

"Yes, ma'am"

"And I presume you want to go on a mission?" Rena gave a nod; she wanted to see, with her own eyes if that Aragami that she'd heard about was the same one she and her group saw that day. Judging by Tsubaki's reaction, she clearly didn't approve of her answer. "Unfortunately for you, you have been put on a temporary break"

"What!?" Rena's hold on her can loosened from the shock. It fell on the floor, spilling what little juice was left inside it. "What do you mean a break!"

"It's a decision from the Director. Losing consciousness like that is dangerous, and we're not sure if you should go out after awakening this soon" Rena couldn't believe what she was saying. She had to be joking!

"Also" Rena glanced at her "If you see Mr. Fujiki around here, tell him to report himself to the Director's office as soon as possible. The same goes for Lindow" the woman walked away.

Once she was gone, Rena turned around, but found that Kota had somehow sneaked to the back of one of the couches. He peeked his head out from his hiding spot, looking around "Is she gone?"

Rena gave him a nod, leaning down to take the dropped can and shrugging at the 'little' mess on the floor "Looks like you're in trouble…" he froze at her statement "What did you do?" He gave an idiotic laugh, before falling silent *sweat drop*

"Well…" he clasped his hands in a pleading manner "Promise not to tell this to anyone?"

"S-Sure…" what's with him?

"I sneaked off to visit my mom and my sister yesterday"

She nodded, trying to follow "Yes? What's so bad about visiting one's family?"

"There is nothing wrong, but that's not the point. It's when I did it that's the problem" the way he said it, he sounded like he was going to die at any moment. "I sneaked off during a mission and didn't report back until next morning!"

Rena shrugged, is he for real? "You're kidding" she said flatly, he shook his head, "She also asked for Lindow"

"He'll be alright. I hope"

"Did he have something to do with this?" she gave him a questioning look.

"He was the one that let me go, after we finished our mission?" you have got to be kidding me! Both of her companions from last time are on 'detention'!? "More importantly"

Rena turned to look at him, just realizing she had looked away "Sorry to hear that, you won't be going out on missions…" the girl swallowed.

"Well she did say 'temporarily'" which was something good, wasn't it? "It's not like I'll be locked up in here for the rest of my life, without doing anything, right?" she sat down on the couch, clutching the can with both hands, a slight smile on her face.

"I guess" he looked discouraged. Well they didn't get to see each other in actual combat in their previous mission, and Rena was still curious as to how good he was during battle. He was a fellow God Eater – and apparently her Senior – after all. "By the way" Looking up she noticed he was glancing at the can in her hands "Were you… drinking that?"

"Is there something wrong with this?" the young man's face looked as though he had been hit flat in the face with a pan when she held the can up.

"Seriously? But it's the First Love Juice!" he pointed out, looking at her with disbelief when she didn't seem to understand what he meant.

"Yes..?" she answered, puzzled "What about it?" that little sentence took Kota aback. What was the big deal with this drink?

Kota gaped at her "Don't tell me" he started, looking as though he'd realized something "you like that drink?"

"So what if I do?" Rena looked at him, slightly annoyed.

"Well, it's the one drink nobody likes" he said, clearly not believing her words "they say it tastes horrible…?"

Rena shrugged at this; really? This drink? "Really? I think it's really nice"

"Then you're the first" the look on Kota's face was still filled with doubt, and that puzzled her even more… Was this drink really that bad?

"By the way" Rena looked down, "That question I asked you earlier, about that Aragami…"

"You want to know about it?" his voice sounded off. Had she asked something bad?

"If you don't want to tell me its fine, I was just curious…" a heavy silence settled between them, and Rena regretted saying those words.

Just when Rena though the conversation wouldn't go any further, Kota spoke "Let's just say" he started "We encountered it, once before…"

"Really…?"

"But what happened afterwards… It isn't something I really want to remember" Kota's face was that of someone hurt, and whatever he had remembered had something to do with it.

"I… see" a heavier silence settled, and Rena found herself thinking back on that 'thing'. It was the first time she had seen it, yet for some reason there was something that told her they had encountered once before.

And those images, they didn't last long and just flashed through her mind, but she knew she saw it. A man in a white coat, most likely a scientist, holding a syringe… And that Aragami's eye, it seemed eerily familiar… But the thing she saw in her mind was a human, and that creature was not… So how were they connected?

"Sorry" Kota's voice broke her trail of though, making her look up in surprise.

"Why? You didn't do anything bad" she said, forcing a smile "Besides, I'm the one who asked that question. So I should be the one saying that"

"Huh?" Kota was about to speak again when Rena cut him off.

"Just forget about it" the girl looked down, "More importantly" she gave him a serious look "You should really go to the Director's Office" he froze.

"No way!"

"Why? It's not like they are going to fire you or something" the girl's expression turned mischievous "Or are you afraid of being scolded?"

"Who me? No way" he took a confident stance.

"Prove it" the both of them got into a staring contest. Neither of them blinked, their faces filled with determination. When… Kota turned away.

"Alright" he turned around, hands behind his head. "I'll go"

Rena smile in triumph "Better now than never, you know" she heard him make a humming sound that probably meant 'yes' "I'll see you around then. I'm looking forward to working with you again"

At this he turned around, a wide smile visible on his face "You can count on it" he said before rushing off, disappearing into the Elevator.

When he was gone, Rena's smile disappeared. Looking down again, she recalled his words. He and the others had seen that thing before, and his following words…_ 'But what happened afterwards… It isn't something I really want to remember'_

Does that mean, they fought it, and but didn't win? And the haunted look on Kota… Did something… bad happen?

Rena stretched out and then leaned back on the couch. She wanted to know more details, but to do that she had to go out and encounter that thing. The problem was "I'm not allowed to go out…" which meant she was locked in here, without any chances of going out for a while.

She signed, bringing her right hand up above her head and eyeing the red armlet around her wrist. The medium that connected her to a weapon to destroy the Aragami… God Arc…

Rena leaned forward quickly at realizing something "That's right" she stood up. So was so concentrated in finding out about the events of that day, that she completely forgotten about one important thing "What happened to my God Arc?"

* * *

><p>Rena gave a sign, nearly collapsing from her relief.<p>

She had rushed over to the God Arc Storage Area, where Licca was applying maintenance to the Arcs through a terminal. She seemed surprised at Rena's sudden arrival.

After questioning the engineer, she filled with relief at finding out her God Arc was safe. Licca giggled at her reaction, "Don't worry, nothing will happen to these so long as I'm here" she said confidently.

"Thank you, though"

"Just doing my job" Licca answered with a smile, before continuing with her work. Rena's then started to wander to the God Arcs in the room.

There were so many, with different shapes and colors. How did they manage to make this many, anyway? Rena stood up and passed in the room, eyeing every Arc that looked interesting.

Just then, one caught her eye and ran over to it to take a closer look. It was held a little isolated from the rest, and was not receiving the same type of maintenance as the others, may be since it didn't seem to be damaged.

Its blade was black, with the edge a metal white. The shield was an orange color, with green linings that seemed to glow in an unnatural way. It also had a black and grey Gun, which meant it was a New-Type weapon.

Even though she always came here to retrieve her own God Arc, she'd never seen this one before. Had it been kept away? It had a few scratches, probably from battle.

Moving a little closer, she noticed something off about it. She hadn't noticed it before, but now that she was this close she saw a long gash that went from the side of the shield, down the blade and ending right past the edge. It looked almost like something had attempted to break it in half.

"Careful!" Licca's voice reached her ears, and Rena looked at her in surprise. "It's dangerous to touch a God Arc that's not yours"

Touch? Looking down, she noticed what she meant. In her curiosity, her hand had moved on its own, the tip of her finger almost touching the surface of the damaged blade. Rena pulled away hastily, surprised at her own actions.

One more moment, and she would have made the mistake of her life – literally. Eyeing the weapon before her again, she turned to Licca, whose face was filled with nostalgia.

"May I ask, whose God Arc this is?" there was a silence, and she saw Licca bite her lip, as if struggling with something.

"It's his God Arc" looking at her with puzzlement, Licca continued "It's the previous First Unit Leader's God Arc…"

* * *

><p>Ok, here is the end of this chapter… it seems a little longer than the other ones. I hope Kota stayed in character, and that some of the reasons why he's in trouble don't sound, off?<p>

Also, the God Arc described in the last part of the chapter is 'Laevateinn'. It's one of the final Upgrades to the God Arc in the game, and all the parts have the same name. (It's a pretty cool one, also)

Well please comment! I will upload the next chapter as soon as I can :)


	11. Chapter 10

Here is chapter 10! Finally, introducing a certain missing character into the story, along with 'rule breaking', as the title said XD

Hope you like it!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 10<strong>

**Broken Rules!**

Rena let herself fall onto the soft surface of her bed, an arm covering part of her face. From what she had experienced today, it seemed like she would be stuck here for quite some time.

No missions, Tsubaki had said, meaning no action whatsoever. Only boredom.

Letting out a sigh, she turned to the side. Her eyes wandering over to the bracelet around her left wrist. The black side of it, which covered part of the message written on it, even after all these years, it still intrigued her.

"_It's the previous First Unit Leader's God Arc"_

Rena stared into space as she recalled what Licca said earlier. It seemed that there had been another leader for the First Unit, but from what she heard, he had either 'died' or 'gone missing'.

Closing her eyes as she felt drowsy, Rena remembered something. An encounter she had at the Ghetto with one of the God Eaters.

"How long was it now?"

* * *

><p><em>Flashback<em>

_Rena walked up to her small kitchen, which barely worked at the time, and picked up the food she had put on a small pan. It was just bread, which was now toasted, which she immediately began to chew on._

_It was not enough food, and she would need more rations soon, something she frowned at. She didn't want to deal with the Far East Branch; much less it's battle members: the God Eaters._

_It's not like she hated them or anything. She just didn't like being in contact with them, especially after what had happened, during an Aragami raid on the Ghetto._

* * *

><p><em>Her mother, trying to protect her and some of the children, had used herself as bait to draw the Ogretail that had managed to sneak in, away from them.<em>

"_You must live!" she said "Live and protect everyone" before running off. Rena had tried to stop her, but when she called out, her mother had been found by the monsters and being chased down the street._

_The brunette followed them with the intent on saving her, using a metal rod she kept in case something happened. When she caught up to them, her mother was being drawn into a corner by the Aragami._

_Rena had rushed to help, hitting the Ogretail nearest to her in despair. But it was futile. She was pushed away by the monster, which turned and snarled at her._

_The other Ogretail didn't do the same, however, and soon she heard a scream in direction of where they were gathered. Rena stood up and tried to hit the monster again, but she was pushed away again, and this time the Ogretail pinned her down with its talon._

_The screams went on, making Rena cry out in despair. Why did this happen!? Where are those God Eaters!? Aren't they supposed to protect them from things like these!? Where are they!?_

'They'll never come…'_ something in her head said. The Ogretail opened its mouth, and the girl prepared herself for the end… But what came after was a snarl, followed by a dying cry from the Aragami before it collapsed at her feet._

_Standing by the death monster, was the one thing she had lost all hope on: A God Eater._

_The dark haired young man, wearing a semi-long sleeved black and grey coat and pants, moved towards the remaining Aragami, and in a few seconds cleared them out with his God Arc: a black and silver blade, with a seemingly orange shield, cutting down on the Aragami like they were nothing._

_Pondering over what had happened, Rena frowned. Such power… she was awed, but also in shock at what she saw afterwards._

_It was a horrible sight, too much to even describe. Rena put a hand up to her mouth, feeling the urge to throw up, but forced it down. Her eyes watered._

"_Are you alright?" the God Eater spoke to her, kneeling right in front of her. "Good, you are not hurt" looking up, her brown eyes met blue, she frowned. He reached out to help her, but she stood up and ran away as a feeling of dread overcame her… Not looking back even once_

* * *

><p><em>Rena chewed down on the last of the bread, and finished her drink in one big gulp, before putting away the dishes. It had been a month already since that happened. She didn't see that God Eater again, not like she hoped to, of course.<em>

_He could mind his own business for all she cared. Suddenly something caught her attention; a commotion? She wondered, looking out the window, her eyes widened at what she saw._

_Standing in the middle of the street – more like in front of her house – his path blocked by a small group of children that lived nearby, was that one God Eater she ran away from a month ago._

_Rena felt a sense of dread hit her, but she shrugged it off. Now that she thought about, she never did thank him for saving her. Although, he did not save her mother –even though it was not entirely his fault – and Rena couldn't help but be a little resentful._

_Walking towards the door, she exited the house. The scene she found was almost comical. The young man was rubbing the back of his head, while waving the other hand around as if to try and stop the avalanche of questions the children threw at him. His face was priceless; she felt a smile tug at her lips._

"_Enough already" she called out as she approached the group, the children turned their attention to her, one of them running to her._

"_Is he your boyfriend?" Rena's face turned red at the question and she angrily yelled at the kids, stomping her feet as they ran away, pretending to be scared of her while laughing at the same time. "Seriously"_

"_Excuse me" the midnight haired God Eater spoke, seemingly worried "I wanted to apologize"_

_Rena was dumbfounded, apologize? "What do you mean? If it's about what happened back there, it's not your fault" not entirely…_

_The young man didn't seem convinced, but soon started smiling. "I see" he started, "I was worried, since you ran away like that" he was stuttering, his face getting red. Was this really the guy who had slain that group of Aragami in cold blood a month ago? No way!_

"_It was probably the spur of the moment, I couldn't help it" she promptly lied; she couldn't just say she felt uneasy when he got near her, could she? "Don't worry about anything" Rena put a hand on her arm, gripping at the cloth nervously._

"_If you say so" he held a hand out, "My name is Kazuya Miyamoto"_

_Rena eyed the hand for a few seconds, that feeling coming back again. Shaking her head, she hesitantly took it, "I-I'm Rena" why was she stuttering!? "Nice to meet you"_

_End of Flashback_

* * *

><p>"Kazuya Miyamoto" that God Arc, it was definitely the same as the one he'd had. "What happened to you?" sure they weren't friends, just acquaintances; but she was still concerned about not finding him anywhere.<p>

First Unit Leader; had he become one? She frowned slightly, remembering Lindow. Both of them were so, carefree yet fierce in battle. Rena chuckled, wondering what kind of leader said boy had become back then.

Something wet trailed down her cheeks, and Rena was puzzled. When did she start crying? She rubbed her face, but the tears wouldn't stop.

*Beep!* *Beep!*

The sound of a siren startled her, the lights flashed red about three times before stopping, but the sound didn't go away. "Alert! Alert! Unknown Aragami has breached the wall!"

Rena sprung to her feet, an Aragami attack?!

The brunette rushed to the door, but stopped. "_You have been put on a temporary break"_ Tsubaki's words echoed in her head, making her tremble in worry. She was not allowed to fight! But in this situation, was she supposed to just stay here while her friends in the Ghetto were in danger? Those children, and their families… _"Live and protect everyone"_

Rena gritted her teeth, taking a deep breath before opening the door and rushing to the elevator. There was no way she would just stay here and do nothing! She pressed a button on the pad, to the Storage Area. She has to protect them!

Once the doors opened, Rena ran over to where her God Arc was being contained. "Rena?" Licca spoke, surprised, Rena heard her gasp as she grabbed her weapon, forcing it out of the case "What are you doing!? You were told not to fight right now"

Ignoring the engineer's protests, Rena rushed out of there, went up the elevator and sneaked out the Gates. There was no helicopter, as expected, she didn't mind though, the Ghetto was right there anyway!

She literally slid down the flight of stairs that led to the ground below, before heading for the place she called Home. She had to protect them! No matter what they said! "Rules are also meant to be broken…"

* * *

><p>Ok, so Rena got out of HQ, and without permission! 0.0 She's so gonna get in trouble later for that. But what does it matter when your friends are in danger.<p>

Next: Rena has a bad feeling, and she not only encounters that nightmarish monster from last time, but will soon find herself face to face with the one Aragami that has tormented her dreams for so long!

Please Review!


	12. Chapter 11

Here is chapter 11! Yay! Another update!

Ok so after some thinking (and testing equipment on my character in game), Rena's God Arc currently looks like this:

Gun: Gattling Gun (might change it – stupid Karel for having the same gun! DX)

Shield: Dodging Buckler

Blade: Ice Katana

I posted the screenshot (actually a picture I took of my PSP while playing) on my deviant art (TORAGE) if you want to check it out

Anyway, new chapter! And with it an encounter that will influence the rest of the story XD

Hope you like it!

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><p><strong>Chapter 11<strong>

**Fateful Meeting!**

Silence hung in the air, like a heavy mist. There was not a soul here, only rumble and cracked streets. Sights of a battle were clear, claw marks everywhere, along with stains of blood here and there.

Rena shivered at the sight, gripping at the handle of her God Arc in frustration. Had she come too late? Kicking piece of debris with her foot, she had that feeling of uselessness she hadn't had for almost a year, since that incident.

_Dead…?_ After a moment she shook her head, trying to dispel that horrible though. No, she couldn't think like that. So far she hadn't found any survivors, but that didn't mean they were dead. For all she knew, the blood could have belonged to an Aragami!

Rena slapped the sides of her face, _Get it together!_

"Hey!" Rena nearly jumped out of her skin when a voice reached her ears; yelping, she swung her God Arc in direction of were said voice came from. She was surprised to see Lindow, who raised his arms in an 'I surrender' gesture when faced with the point of her blade.

"Watch were you point that!" lowering her weapon, Rena let out a sign of relief. Lindow approached her when he was sure she wouldn't pull a stunt like that again "I heard you were on a temporary break. What are you doing here?"

Looking up, her lips tightened into a thin line. Great, encountering any other God Eater was one thing! But to encounter Lindow here, the Leader of her Unit, while she broke the rules? _Just my luck…!_ She put a hand on her forehead, her silver bracelet clicking with the movement.

"Does my sis– Tsubaki know about this?" he asked.

Rena shook her head, looking at her feet "I didn't say anything" she swallowed "But I can't go back" she looked up "not now when the people I care about are in danger!"

Lindow opened his mouth to speak – surely to talk her out of it – when she interrupted him. "Please! I have to fight!" she put a hand up over her chest where her heart is, giving the dark haired man a determined look which lasted for a few seconds before looking back down, realizing her behavior.

She had just spoke her mind – literally yelled it – to someone with higher authority than her. Speaking like that to someone superior was bad, and it was surely going to cause him to send her back to the Den.

She stood there silent, and waiting for Lindow to give her the order to go back, when he sighed "Can't do much about it, I guess" Rena looked up, puzzled. "Now that you are here, how about you lend us a hand?"

"But –" she had just disrespected him!

Lindow waved a hand, the one that wasn't mutated "We'll talk about this later" he became serious "Besides, we can't really send you back right now, not when we need as many fighters as we can"

"The enemy is still here?" Lindow gave a nod, making Rena's skin crawl. A few moments ago, she had though that may be the Aragami had been killed or even kicked out of the Ghetto, especially with all the signs of whatever battle had taken place here. But now that she knew the monsters were still here, her fear for her friends safety came back in full force.

"Can you fight?" he asked, as if to see if she was still going to fight. Rena raised her head, looking serious and gripping her God Arc tightly, before giving a nod "Yes!"

"Well, you better prepare yourself, cus' this guy way tougher than you think"

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><p>The way Lindow had said it, it sounded as though this was more than just a normal Aragami. And judging by the disguised fear – or was it sadness – in his voice, it seemed like it was very dangerous.<p>

Rena began to think if it had been a good idea to come along to face something that was beyond her power to defeat, when there was a loud roar. A roar so familiar, it sent chills down Rena's spine. Could it be…?

"Heads up!" Lindow prepared his weapon, "It's here!" as soon as he said that, the building in front of them was crushed by something that bust right through it.

It seemed to be a person, wielding a huge sword-like weapon as white as paper. Its wielder came flopping down, and crashed against the ground right by their feet. She couldn't see the face, for it was hidden under a dark blue hood, but she was shocked at realizing who it was.

"Soma!" Lindow exclaimed, running towards his comrade, who struggled to get up.

"It got me…" the young man panted, annoyed "That bastard…!"

"We need a med!" she heard Lindow mumble, and she walked closer.

Rena's eyes widened at what she saw. Now that she could see him up close, there was blood – and a lot of it – staining the side of his shirt and coat. He was injured, and badly. "Let me take a look!" she rushed in.

"I don't need it!" Soma growled, and she flinched.

*Roawr!*

Their heads snapped up at the sound, which was followed by something crushing the already damaged building, along with a few others beside it. Blank eye nearly hidden by the armor-like face, the black monster gave another roar that seemed to somehow resemble a human scream.

It was that monster from last time, Rena frowned, the one that had given her such a bad feeling upon making eye contact. And even in this second encounter, there was that feeling again. As if something about that monster caused the entire world around to crumble.

What was that thing?

"It's here" she heard Lindow speak in a low, wary voice. "This is bad. What happened to the others?" he turned to Soma, who was panting.

"Got knocked out by that thing" he glared up at the Aragami "That abomination is way too strong, it's not normal"

That means, they were the only ones fighting it right now? Rena's eyes widened in shock; facing something that had easily defeated a group of God Eaters without so much of a scratch, clearly this meant trouble.

Eyeing the monster, Rena noticed patches of blood in its claws and felt numb at the sign. What if it belongs to the monster itself? No, it couldn't be, it seemed to be in too much of a good condition and an Aragami wouldn't attack itself. They were not stupid. Then, did it belong to… _People she knew?_

Could it be the reason why she couldn't find anyone? Because this thing had…? Rena opened her mouth _"How many casualties were there?"_ but Lindow cut her off before she could say a word, walking to stand in front of them.

"Hey Rena" he started, getting ready for battle "Keep an eye on Soma" before heading into the fray. The Aragami responded to Lindow's movements, and charged in to attack him.

Rena was left there, not sure of what to do. Was she supposed to just sit here and keep an eye on this guy? "That bastard…" she heard the tanned young man groan in pain, and saw him try to stand up.

She moved to stop him "Hey, you should stay down!"

"And who are you to order me?" he sounded like he was in a bad mood, totally not what she had seen that morning. What a jerk! She was just trying to help him!

Puffing her cheeks, Rena gave him a glare. This was not a time to argue, though; what with a rampaging Aragami right before them, and an injured to keep an eye on, things couldn't get any worse.

"Rena! Soma! Look out!" Lindow's voice drove her attention away from the stubborn God Eater, making her turn to the Leader. But what she saw nearly gave her a heart attack.

Lindow had been knocked into a pile of debris – though he seemed unhurt, which she was thankful for – and the Aragami had turned and was headed straight for them… or her!

She couldn't explain it, but that monster seemed to have targeted her, and that was bad news. For both her and Soma who was currently unable to fight.

Turning to look at him, she should be helping him, but with the speed at which that monster was running, there was no way to block the attack without the veteran getting injured.

Rena saw the God Eater stand up by the corner of her eye, staggering and bleeding, before something clicked in her mind. She could drive the monster's attention away, which would in turn give the injured young man a chance to get to safety.

Sure he was a jerk – from what she just witnessed – but he was still a person who needed help, even if he did not want it. And she was not about to let someone die before her, not this time!

"Get to some place safe!" she said quickly, earning an annoyed mumble from Soma, before changing her God Arc to a Gun and shooting a bullet at the charging monster. As soon as it hit, she sprinted away from her position, away from Soma who gave her an 'are you nuts!?' kind of look.

Lindow's voice, sounding shocked and telling her to stop what she was doing, seemed distant as the feeling of springing into action took over.

Her plan seemed to work, for as soon as she moved, the Aragami followed her. The brunette rolled on the ground, avoiding the monster's claw attack. She changed her weapon to sword, and dove in to attack.

The blade cut at its exposed belly, before Rena jumped away as the beast tried to hit her again, this time with its other arm. She repeated the move one more time, getting two hits this time before she was driven away.

The monster – seeming to figure out her tactic – got on all fours, its back archer while it showed a menacing snarl. In such a position, she couldn't reach what seemed to be its weakness – or one of them – and she let out a frustrating growl.

The Aragami's tail swung from side to side, like a cat waiting to pounce on its prey. Rena gripped her weapon with determination, and jumped in to attack once again.

Her blow was blocked as soon as it came, nearly losing her balance as the monster pushed her away. It raised a claw to attack her, which she dodged. However, the monster seemed to have foreseen this move, for before she knew it, its tail had come and hit her in the stomach.

Crashing into a wall, Rena coughed, trying to get air in her lungs. Dirt clouded the air, and she blinked, trying to focus as the world seemed to spin around her; darkness peeking out of the corner of her vision. Had she hit her head?

That eerie roar made her put up her guard, searching for her foe with her blurry vision. Soon, a shadow appeared right in front of her in the cloud of dirt, and she raised her shield. The blow that came pushed her to the ground, where she was pinned down by the pressure and her God Arc.

Looking up, her eyes widened in shock. Right in front of her, the monster's reptile face stared down at her. That blank stare… There was something there that seemed eerily familiar; she could even feel it's breath on her face, and she couldn't help but try to get away in disgust.

There was a sudden *beezzee* sound, and an image of a smirking man in a lab coat flashed in her head. Rena blinked, trying to get that image away.

It did not stop there, however, for another image appeared. This time the face of that man slowly came into better view. Rena closed her eyes shut, horror and disgust overwhelming her as she desperately tried to escape the Aragami in front of her.

That man's face, her head screamed. It was not human! Although one part of it was, the other half was disfigured by what seemed to be a mutation. Skin as black as charcoal, with an eye that seemed to have lost its sight, being blank as the one in front of her.

This thing…! It couldn't be…!

Just as she began to think that, a roar which did not belong to the Aragami in front of her, was heard. Loud and clear, with a feeling of command in it, it was a roar she had heard before… Could it be?

Just then, something big knocked the monster off her. The black lizard rolled on the ground from the impact, before getting to its feet and snarling at what had hit it.

Getting into a sitting position, Rena was speechless. As soon as the cloud of dirt dispersed, her eyes widened in shock as she saw a large beast was standing between her and the black Aragami.

Fur as red as blood, with a golden armor-like formation running along its spine, to its long tail which had golden spikes at the end; long fangs protruding from the corners of its dog-like mouth, which showed sharp teeth as it growled in anger.

There was no mistaking it. This monster, most likely an Aragami as well – which had saved her for who knows what reason – was that creature she had encountered many times in her dreams.

"_You're…!"_

That flaming hound-like monster, that had burned her to a crisp in said dreams…

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><p>So, the monster which had been mentioned before finally appears! Took me a while to finish this, much longer than I had planned. So, I'm sorry for the late post. Hope the chapter came out well, and I'm once again worried over Soma's personality even though he didnt appear much here.<p>

Please Review! I'll try to be on time next time, XD


	13. Chapter 12

Here is chapter 12! And so late! Sorry!

I had wanted to post this sooner, but didn't get a chance to, one because I was kind of busy – since my parents, my sister and I took a plane our homeland, to visit our family and to spend Christmas and New Years with them – and second, because I felt kind of lazy. 0.0

Anyway, I have finally posted this chapter. A battle between two Rampaging Gods will ensue in this chapter! :3

Hope you like it!

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><p><strong>Chapter 12<strong>

**Who are you?**

Rena stared at the scene that unfolded before her, not even bothering to blink. An Aragami – enemy of all mankind – had just saved her from one of its own species, and was even keeping the black monster away from her.

What is the meaning of this?

As she though this, the Black – as she just thought of naming it – made an attempt to try and knock the new adversary away. But the crimson beast just used its clawed paws – or hands, she couldn't quite tell – to slap at the monster's face, leaving a deep burning scar.

Black came again, but received two blows this time, with the crimson beast's fur bristling threateningly, its long tail swinging from side to side, its golden spikes seeming to glow.

The hound let out a snarl, moving a few strides forward, before lunging at the other Aragami. Its claws digging into the thick skin while long fangs sank into the black Aragami's armor neck as if it were just mere plastic, earning a scream from the lizard-like monster.

Black made attempts to shake the other off, crashing against a wall in the process. The red beast got off, whining before getting into a battle stance again. Black shook its neck, as if trying to take the pain away, before charging at the other, blank eye suddenly glowing in fury. It had been enraged, Rena though.

"Rena!" Lindow's voice reached her ears, but she ignored it, trying to stand up and walk away from the commotion. If she attacked now, it would not only draw that black monster to her again, she would also be in trouble with that red beast.

That is, if it was truly an enemy; which was something she did not know, for all Aragami are to be labeled enemies, no matter what.

Black noticed her trying to slip away, growled and made to chase after her. Red – the name she though for it at the moment – ran to stand in its way, however, delivering a strong blow to the other's face. A loud crunching sound was heard, followed by the black Aragami's scream of pain.

Said Aragami put a clawed hand on its face, before slowly retreating, limping as it used only one forearm to back away. The behavior was so out of place for a creature like that, so human-like, that it sent chills down Rena's spine.

Something that seemed to be saliva started to drip down the black monster's mouth, before opening it to reveal and eerie green colored gas coming from its throat.

Red growled, a bright crimson glow peeking out between sharp teeth. The black monster arched back, before shooting forward and spitting out a green ball of smoke at its opponent. Red, as she came to think of it, opened its mouth at that moment, shooting a ball of fire at the smoke.

The clash between the two attacks, gas and fire, caused an explosion that threw Rena off balance, even from her position behind a crumbling wall. She coughed at the strong smell that came from the smoke, and moved to cover her mouth and nose.

The silence that followed was short, for another snarl was heard. There was a bone crushing sound, then a pained roar – that eerie roar which came from Black – followed by retreating heavy steps.

Slowly the smoke cleared, and Rena peeked out of her hiding place. One of two silhouettes, which were slowly becoming clearer, was walking away. She took a few steps out of her hiding place, trying to get a better look, when a gust of wind blew the remaining bits of smoke away, uncovering the scene before her.

Black had turned its back to them, leaping over fallen buildings, before stopping again, looking back, blank eye filled with something akin to hatred. The stare was clearly directed at Rena, and she shrugged.

The black monster let out a loud roar, strong enough to hurt her ears and forcing her to cover them with her hands – one being unusable for that for it was holding her God Arc. Red roared as well, seemingly threatened by the action, before running to chase the other away.

Seeing this, Black jumped off the buildings, out of sight. Its loud steps could be heard, moving farther and farther away from the area.

Red stopped in his chase, seeing as the other left, and turned to Rena. The brunette flinched as the monster walked towards her, gripping her God Arc and reading herself to attack.

But the Aragami didn't seem afraid, or hostile at the sight. It just stopped in its tracks, eyeing her as if with curiosity; sharp teeth no longer visible, for its mouth was closed, with the only thing showing being its long fangs.

Something in those golden eyes seemed, somehow familiar. It was not the mindless, threatening look the Aragami usually had. This one was different, much like… A person?

Lowering her guard for a moment, she could hear Red let out a long breath, sending gusts of wind in her direction. She took a step, it did not move, and then took another. When it did not move, she began to walk with more confidence.

Rena moved to hold her God Arc with only one hand, while using the other – the one with the red armlet – to reach out. Red moved at this, but not in a hostile manner; on the contrary, it moved its face forward, as if seeking out her hand.

"Do I know you?" there was a sign of recognition in those eyes, and Rena herself felt she'd seen that look somewhere before. But where? "Who are you?"

Her fingers were just inches away from making contact, when "Rena!" Lindow's call snapped her out of her daze, forcing her to the left.

Lindow was standing atop some debris, looking at her and then at the Aragami, before yelling again "Get away from there!" his weapon turning into a gun and aiming it at Red.

Red raised its head, turned in direction of her leader, and snarled. Eyes glowing threateningly as it showed its sharp teeth, claws digging into the ground.

"Wait!" she called out, but they did not hear her. A bullet was shot, hitting Red on the shoulder, with the Aragami yelping from the pain. "Stop!"

Red let out a snarl, charged forward before leaping towards where Lindow stood. The man jumped away, narrowly avoiding the monster's claws, which were taking on a blazing glow, the debris melting away upon contact.

Lindow positioned himself to attack again, aiming the weapon at the monster's back, when Rena rushed in and stood between the gun and Red. "Wha–!" the First Unit Leader's eyes widened in shock, stopping himself just when he was about to pull the trigger, "Move away"

"No" she said defiantly, earning a look of surprise from the man "he saved my life"

Lindow was speechless at the claim, and opened his mouth to say something, when Red let out a yelp of pain. Turning around, they saw the Aragami leap off the pile of debris, passing just above their heads, before landing on the buildings on the other side, where Black had been a few minutes ago.

"Soma!" Lindow called out. As if on cue, said young man came climbing down the pile of debris, landing on the ground, staggering. He clutched his wounds, which were still open.

Lindow and Rena were by his side in seconds, the young man using his white God Arc to steady himself. "Are you crazy?" the brunette said accusingly, giving Soma an angry look. "I told you to get to safety!"

"You are not my boss…" he snarled, and she flinched. A loud roar interrupted their small argument, forcing the three of them to look at Red.

The Aragami stood atop the fallen buildings, looking like some sort of noble beast, looking over at them as though they were not the slightest bit dangerous. One paw was held in the air, bleeding from where Soma's weapon had most likely hit it.

Rena stood from her kneeling position, and slowly began to walk towards Red. Only to be stopped by Lindow, who grabbed her arm and shaking his head. Red gave her that same nostalgic look, like that of one who had found something important.

"Who are you?" the question slipped from her lips, earning the confused looks from her comrades.

Red let out a low purring sound – which sounded like a low growl due to its size – before turning away. It jumped off the buildings, and disappeared.

_Who are you?_ The question echoed in her mind.

"Rena" Lindow's voice once again brought her back to reality, and she suddenly felt weak, a throbbing pain on her head "You are bleeding"

Rena suddenly felt something warm tickle down the right side of her forehead, and she put a hand up to the place. When she pulled away, she saw what he meant. Her fingers were painted red, and she gasped.

She must have gotten hurt at some point during the fight between the Rampaging Gods, most likely after that explosion. But how did she not feel the pain until now?

There was a distant howl, before Rena noticed something else. She had been a few seconds away, from touching that monster…

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><p>So here is where the chapter ends. How was it? Give me your opinion. Red and Black are temporary nicknames for these two Aragami, their NORN names will be revealed later on in the story.<p>

So anyway, Red is a fierce opponent, but why would he be so friendly to Rena?

Comments please!


	14. Chapter 13

Here comes chapter 13! And not a very action-packed chapter…! Rena's in trouble… -.-; and she got into an argument with a team mate, with whom she'll be forced to go on a mission with. Courtesy of Lindow, lol :3

Hope you like it!

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><p><strong>Chapter 13<strong>

**A chance to rest…?**

"Inconceivable!" Rena shrugged her shoulders, feeling the threatening aura coming from Tsubaki. She was so fried… So doomed now; she'd broken the rules, no matter if there was good intentions behind her actions, and there were consequences.

Rena had tried to retort, but found herself silenced by a mere look. She felt a throbbing pain on her forehead, which was now bandaged, though still hurting.

After the incident with those two Aragami, Lindow, Soma, and her – plus anyone who had participated in the fight, even before the brunette had arrived – had been brought back to HQ, and led to the infirmary.

That is, however, Tsubaki had burst in and started giving lectures to those who had been present when Rena had appeared on the battlefield without permission – and those were Lindow, Soma and the culprit of the situation, which was Rena herself. And now she had the woman's full attention, and receiving an endless scolding from her.

"Ignoring the orders of your superiors, and even defying the leader of your unit!" the woman took a moment to breath, before speaking again "You are to stay within the Den at all times, you will not be allowed out of these walls until further notice!"

Rena fisted her hands, which were resting on her knees, in frustration. "Am I making myself clear?" the girl nodded, silent, her head throbbing again from the movement.

"Sis" Lindow spoke up, but fell silent again after Tsubaki gave him a deadly look. He proceeded to rub the back of his head, sighing in defeat.

"If I ever hear of this sort of thing happening again" the woman said with an edge, "The punishment will be severe" before turning and taking her leave.

As the door closed behind her, the atmosphere in the infirmary became heavy. Rena was sure that if it weren't for the long green curtains that separated the patient's beds, there would be glares being directed at her.

At least, she was sure someone was glaring at her – for most of the ones being treated right now where either out cold or not present, having left earlier before Tsubaki had arrived. And that would be Soma, who just happened to be on a bed right next to hers, being treated for injuries he said were not that serious.

He'd received a heavy lecture on how he and Lindow should have had sent Rena back to base when the saw her, and holding them – sort of – responsible for her safety.

"What a drag" she heard him – kind of – mumble, and she shrugged her shoulders.

"You know if you have something to say to me, say it to my face" she mumbled, half intended for him to hear it. Much to her surprise, and chagrin, he did hear her.

"Same goes for you" he retorted, and she clicked her tongue.

Rena looked to the side, trying to come up with a comeback "You know you wouldn't be here if you had listened to me, and gotten to some place safe" from the grunt she heard, she hit a sore point.

"Why would I follow the orders of someone whose rank is lower than mine?" he lashed out, had the curtain been drawn, she was sure he would be throwing daggers at her with just his sight. She didn't want to admit it, but he was right.

But that didn't mean he had to be such a jerk when someone was trying to help him! "You know you were heavily injured back there! Getting you out of the danger zone was the most logical thing to do!"

"Injuries like those are nothing to me. You should mind your own business!" Soma lashed out again, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Why do you have to be such a jerk!?" I was just trying to help! The words didn't come out of her mouth, but found it ended up with the same result. She heard him take a breath to say something, but he stopped, seemingly out of ideas of what to say. Got him!

"Uh…" the sound of Lindow's voice drew her attention away from the stubborn guy on the other side of the curtain, and she flinched a little. The 1st Unit Leader rubbed the back of his head, sighing tiredly, as if listening to their argument had taken all his energy away "You both are in the same unit, so I would like it if you could get along?"

Rena felt something build up within her at those words, and she couldn't contain herself. She burst out, and much to her surprise, Soma did the same thing.

"Why would I get along with someone like him!?"

"Why would I get along with her!?"

Lindow nearly jumped out of his skin at this, taking two steps back before regaining his composure. He stood there, silent, and then spoke "Alright" he started, "How about we do this. I'll issue a mission for the three of us, just a small mop up operation"

"What?"

"Why…?"

"As I said before, you are both on the same unit. Cooperation is the most important thing right now, and this mission is so you can both try to, at least, get to sort this out"

"But I'm on detention right now" Rena said, in hopes to avoid going along with this idea. Much to her distress, Lindow smiled.

"I'll do something about that" he said "I'll try to convince sis- I mean Tsubaki to put your detention on hold until we sort this out" Rena cursed under her breath, nodding reluctantly.

Soma did not say anything, but Lindow seemed to take this as a 'yes' – which was probably a 'no'. "Alright, I'll be waiting for the both of you tomorrow morning to give you your instructions. Until then, please try not to kill each other" with that, he left.

When the door closed, the silence that ensued was almost painful. Rena laid back on the bed, feeling a slight headache; the softness of the pillow easing some of her pain, but not all of it. First she was scolded by the advisor, and now she was being forced to go on a mission with this jerk?

Putting her forearm above her eyes, she groaned. It seems tomorrow would be a very long day…

* * *

><p>The City of Mercy, what a familiar sight… Rena let out a sign for the sixth time that day.<p>

She was sitting on a small boulder with her back against the wall, her God Arc's white blade right next her giving off a foreign glow under the light of the sun.

Looking over to her left, Soma stood with his back to her; his white God Arc placed on the ground, its blade sinking into the soil with such ease it gave her the chills. Are all buster blades that heavy?

Soma was as quiet as ever, either thinking about a way to get off this or just plainly ignoring her. She voted for the second option, since it seemed more than likely.

They had been waiting at the rendezvous point for almost half an hour doing just that, sitting – or standing – and not saying anything. And it didn't seem likely they would address each other any time soon.

Rena turned away, her eyes falling on the silver bracelet around her left wrist. The metal made soft clinking sounds as she turned it over, the black part of it somehow reminding her of something.

The metal had been burned, but by what. For a moment, the image of Red came to her mind. She shook that though away, however, after recalling how powerful its attacks were.

Red's flames were powerful, capable of melting anything in its path. So if the bracelet had been hit by an attack like that, it wouldn't have survived for even a minute. Then again, the flames could have graced the metal, and not hit it directly.

Then again, if it had been Red's doing, then why was it so docile towards her? It didn't make sense… Rena let out another sign, mind-wrecking case giving her a headache.

"Yoh!" Rena jerked her head up at the sudden greeting – almost finding herself with a cram at the sudden movement. It was Lindow, and as late as ever!

The dark haired walked towards them, smiling as if nothing was wrong. Soma didn't even try to turn around as the man greeted him; Rena frowned, he was most likely in a bad mood.

Rena stood up, stretching her arms a little, before moving forward to pay close attention to the Leader's orders. "Alright, this is just a mop up operation" he started "But we'll need a lot of team work for this case"

Rena gulped, what is he making them confront now? "We'll be dealing with a Kongou today. Though it's alone, it's very temperamental and cannot be taken down easily when fighting alone. So here is the deal, I want the two of you to do a search for it on the west side, I'll go the opposite direction"

What? Rena almost choked. Did he mean leave her along with this guy? It seemed like Soma was thinking the same thing, for there was a cough coming in his direction. The young man had finally turned around, his expression that of pure hatred.

Rena opened her mouth to speak, so did Soma, but they were both cut off by Lindow "You'll be working together here. And I won't take a no for an answer" he waved his right arm, bringing out his weapon "Alright, time to move out!" before jumping off the ledge.

She heard Soma let out a groan, before he jumped off as well. Rena saw Lindow turn to the left, while Soma walked a few steps away to the right, and then stopped suddenly. "What are you waiting for rookie!" he snapped, and she flinched.

"Quit calling me 'rookie'!" she retorted jumping off the ledge and chasing after him "I have a name you know!"

He gave her a 'tell me something I don't know' look, before he walked away, not even bothering to say anything back. Rena felt a slight throbbing in her head, where she'd been injured, feeling a headache coming.

If this mission did not end soon, she was surely going to faint from a migraine…

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><p>So here it is! Quite a short chapter compared to the last one, but I hope it was enjoyable. Took me a while to finish it, one because I was being lazy (my bad) and second because I started feeling this cram on my shoulder (right where the shoulder and neck meet), which hasn't left since two days ago… *.*<p>

Anyway, finally updated, and I'll try to update faster. Please review!


	15. Chapter 14

Here comes chapter 14! Onto their first Mission together! Hopefully things will work out for them… or not.

Hope you like it!

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><p><strong>Chapter 14<strong>

**Work Together? Fail!**

It was awfully quiet.

She and Soma had stopped arguing since a few minutes ago, mostly due to the fact that they would attract unwanted attention from any Aragami nearby.

However, there was no sign of their target as of yet. They did find, however, blood stains scattered here and there.

Rena was starting to have a strange feeling of foreboding. It was the same feeling she had four days ago, when she first saw that black Aragami. Their target had been attacked and devoured by that monster, that's why there were traces of blood all over the place.

This situation was similar… The blood stains, a few red trails forming a faded path, as if beckoning them to follow it into a dark place.

It was bone chilling. Was that monster here?

Rena stopped in her tracks, feeling uneasy and not wanting to continue. Her last encounter had been nerve-wracking. The moment her God Arc had made contact with that thing, foreign images had flooded her mind… Eerily familiar images, which she didn't want to recall.

"What are you doing?" Rena's head snapped up, she saw Soma quite a ways away from her. Rena flinched, that's right! She was not alone in this mission! "We don't have all day, you know" he said, then turned to walk ahead.

She put on an annoyed face. "Hey wait!" she ran to catch up, her mind deviated from the scene around them. Soma did not seem to listen, didn't even bother to slow down; his form becoming a silhouette as he got farther away "Just wait!"

"You–" her protest was interrupted when her foot connected with something, her hands reached out towards some metal tubes for support, only to have these fall over due to the weight put on them, hitting the ground with a loud *clack clack* sounds.

She followed soon after, falling face first on the floor. Mumbling something under her breath, she sat up while rubbing her face. That hurt!

"Hey!" came Soma's call. She looked up; he had stopped, it seemed, and for some reason his silhouette was quickly… getting closer? Was he coming back? "Be quiet!" he snarled once he was standing a few meters away from her.

Rena glared at him for a moment, then cringed when another metal tube fell, as if waiting for the moment to surprise them with its annoying sound. It echoed all around them, before everything became quiet.

The two eyed their surroundings with cautiousness, waiting for something to pop out and attack. When nothing happened, Soma turned back to her, his expression being of annoyance.

"Idiot" he grumbled.

"You're the one who was leaving me behind!"

"I wasn't. You are just slow" he snapped.

Rena was about to snap back, when bits of dirt and pebbles fell from somewhere above them. They both slowly looked up, but saw nothing.

That feeling of foreboding was still there, however, forcing Rena to hurry and stand up "We better get moving" she said, when the alley got dark suddenly. A shadow!?

"Look out!" Rena turned around. Something bulky and big was rushing to them; its eyes seemed to glow in the dark of the alley. There was what looked like pipes over its shoulders, its face seeming to show an evil smirk to them. The Kongou!

Rena was going to jump to the side, but found there was barely any space. She cursed under her breath, before turning her weapon into a gun and preparing to shoot.

"Cover your eyes!" came Soma's voice from behind her, stopping her from shooting. She was at first puzzled at the demand, but when she saw what he was holding, she understood.

Turning around and closing her eyes, she noticed a bright flash of light from behind her eye lids, along with hearing the Kongou growl at being stunned.

Slowly opening her eyes again, she didn't have time to react before a hand grabbed her arm, and pulled her away. "We can't fight here!" he said.

They ran out to the other side of the alley, into what used to be a plaza; a familiar place, near the cathedral.

Soma let go once they were at the center, and they both looked back. There was a loud roar, and then stomping feet that were getting closer. It wasn't long before their enemy came out from the alley, looked over at them with furious eyes, before jumping and forming a ball with its body and began to roll.

The Kongou's speed had increased with this tactic. From the speed it seemed as though wind was forming a barrier around it. If they were hit with that, things could get bad.

She was about to warn Soma, but he had already moved to the side. Rena made a face before doing the same, towards the opposite direction. The Kongou rolled past them and hit a wall, leaving nothing but destruction in its wake.

Rena coughed a few times, trying to get the dirt that had flown in the air away from her. The cloud of dirt cleared up, and she saw the Kongou getting out of the hole it had made on the wall. When it saw them, it let out a roar, hitting the ground with his fists. It must be annoyed that it missed.

The Kongou leaned forward, aiming the four pipe-like formations on its back at them. Rena had a bad feeling from that, so she rolled to the side quickly, and just in time, as something like air waves were shot from the pipes.

Taking a fire position, Rena pulled the trigger to fire while it was facing the other way. Once she shot however, she found herself disrupting her aim when a certain hooded guy passed by her. The shot missed him by a few inches, and he jumped back, stunned.

"Hey! Watch were you are aiming that!" he snapped, as if it had been her fault.

"Me!? You should stay out of my line of fire!"

A roar distracted them from their argument, forcing them to move away from their positions when another burst of air waves were shot their way. This time it was different, however.

One of the air waves hit the ground by her feet, and she though it had missed; but ended up taking that back when something like a small tornado burst out of the ground.

She was thrown away from the blast, landing on the floor on her back. She groaned in pain, slowly getting up. Her eyes widened when she noticed the monster aiming the pipes at her, intending to kill her.

Rena tried to get up, but felt her ankle go numb. Had she injured it? "Just my luck" she mumbled, trying to get to her feet again, stumbling in the process.

She was not fast enough, however. The air was already gathering on the Kongou's pipes, it was going to shoot at any moment. Rena had no choice but to take out her shield and prepare for the impact.

The Kongou didn't have a chance to shoot, for a rain of bullets were sent its way from behind it. Running out of a far away alley, holding his weapon in gun form, was Lindow.

Rena was relieved at his arrival, though she wondered why he hadn't arrived sooner. Either way, she was glad they had more people. The more the merrier, as they say, especially when fighting a monster like this one.

The Kongou wasn't as happy as she was, though, for it turned and formed a ball to attack the gunner. Lindow rolled out of the way quickly, and the Kongou ended up hitting a wall, again.

The moment it turned around, it got bombarded by Lindow's bullets. Rena joined soon after, doing as much as she could from her position.

The Kongou suddenly let out a big roar, its movements seeming to become quicker. It was enraged. The monster began repeating its rolling attack over and over, trying to get a hit. But they managed to avoid it every time – Rena, though, had a lot more trouble accomplishing this; her ankle hindering her movements.

She changed her weapon into a sword, rushed in and tried to get a hit, but the Aragami avoided it easily. Once it landed, it attempted to hit her with its fists, but she managed to block it. This caused her to wince at the pressure she had to apply to her foot and ankle. Was it a concussion? She couldn't tell.

Quickly moving away and avoid another hit – though it didn't ease the pain – she saw Lindow aiming his gun at the Aragami. It was hit by the Oracle bullets, then hit with a buster blade as Soma charged in as soon as the shooting stopped.

Rena joined in, this time managing to land a hit. The Kongou flinch at the rain of blows it was receiving, stumbling backwards before crouching, looking as though it was trying to protect itself from the blows.

For some reason she felt like a bully at the sight. She groaned, shaking the thought out of her head. This was an Aragami, and they had to slay it not matter what!

Swinging her Ice Katana at the Aragami – earning pained growl from it – the monster got up and turned away from them. "Don't let it get away!" Lindow commanded, and she and Soma went to stop its escape.

Rena turned her God Arc into a gun and shot an electric bullet. It went by the buster blade's side – missing him by a few inches, again – and hit the Aragami on the back, stunning it, while Soma raised his sword and landed a crushing blow on its head.

The Kongou let out a defeated roar before collapsing on the floor, one arm reaching forward, as though it was asking for help before dying.

Rena approached the Kongou, the sight before her making her feel a little pity for the fallen Aragami.

A though suddenly crossed her mind; for moment, she though, if what they did just now was the right thing. She shook her head again. What was wrong with her all of a sudden? Why was she feeling like this?

"Hey" Soma, who has just used Devour on the Kongou to retrieve its core, said "You almost hit me back there" he pointed out.

"You are the one who just rushed in without a warning" she retorted.

Lindow sighed, rubbing the side of his head. His plan hadn't worked, and that means one thing. They'll have to try again! He let out a tired sign, this was going to get tiresome.

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><p>Finally here! It took me a while to get it done and upload it. Lol, I'm not sure about the name for the chapter – that was the only thing that I could think of!<p>

I hope I got the fighting scenes right, and the last paragraph seemed more like Lindow's POV? Well whatever. Hope you like it! I'll update as soon as I'm done with the next chapter. XD

Comments!


	16. Chapter 15

Yay, chapter 15! Took longer than I had thought to write down, though. I hope it turned out ok!

Now, on to the chapter!

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><p><strong>Chapter 15: Sleepless Night<strong>

**Part 1**

"No data" Rena let out a sign of defeat, tapping the buttons of the keyboard for any sort of clue about the two New-Type Aragami she had encountered previously: namely Black and Red.

After Lindow, Soma and she had returned from their mission, the girl had gone straight to her room to rest; the argument she had with Soma on their way back had tired her out. She had, however, overslept and when she woke, it was already night.

Rena had then taken out a disk from her drawer, logged into her Terminal and inserted the disk. After the machine had detected the disk, she began to do her 'homework' in searching for information about Black and Red.

She was determined to find clues that might explain why she had had those visions during her encounters with those two.

However, after what could be considered hours of searching, she gave up the search, having had no luck in her findings regarding Red save for information that she already knew. And Black? Well, his data were just bits and pieces of information – how it suddenly appears out of nowhere, attacks an area and then vanishes – that where so vague they could be considered useless.

Letting out another sign and stretching her hands forward in an attempt to relax, the brunette copied the information she had acquired into the disk.

It was then that she had noticed the time it was; she extracted the disk and turned the terminal off. It was three hours past midnight, almost morning time. It was no wonder her eyes felt so tired.

Also… Was that thirst? Rena groaned, why did it have to bother her now when she was finally going to bed? Seeing as the thirst would not be going away any time soon, Rena placed the disk back into the drawer before exiting her room.

It was dark outside save for one light bulb near the elevator, as expected due to the time. She walked as quietly as she could towards the vending machine, and squinted her eyes a little, trying to read the labels on the buttons.

After a few minutes of searching, she placed a coin and then pressed the button for the drink she wanted. The machine made an awfully loud noise as it ejected the can, and she could have sworn she heard someone wake up, she froze.

Thankfully, she was greeted by silence and the brunette finally relaxed. Taking the can into her hands, she checked so see if she had gotten what she had asked for, and then turned to leave.

Rena stopped, however, when a though came to her mind. Didn't the lobby have a window viewing the Outer Ghetto? Now that she thought about it, what did the Ghetto look like at night at this hour?

Feeling curious, she went for the elevator and pressed the button to go to the lobby. Once she got there, the brunette checked to see if there was anyone around, but thankfully the place was empty.

Walking as quietly as she could past the sofas, Rena came to stand at the edge of the platform, and leaned on the fence. In front of her was one of many tall windows that surrounded the lobby, allowing a view to the outside.

It was dark out there, but she could see tiny lights coming from the houses in the Ghetto. Either the occupants were still awake or the lights were left on on purpose. Either way, it gave the area a nostalgic appearance.

To Rena, who once lived there, that place had been her home for about five years. The people there were important to her, and she wanted to protect her. But, that was from her point of view.

Opening the can, and taking a zip of the juice inside, Rena frowned at the memories.

The reality was that very few people in the Ghetto actually considered her a friend, or even family. The children and very few adults at most, interacted with her and treated her like a 'normal' person. But when it came to others, it was a completely different story.

Some did not mind her presence, but did not make an effort to interact with her either. Others, however, just pushed her away as thought they wanted to avoid the plague.

She understood their reasons, though. And that was because….

"What do you think you're doing up at this hour?" This startled her out of her thoughts, and she turned around. Was there someone awake? Wait, that voice sounds familiar. It couldn't be…

"You" Rena narrowed her eyes when the person standing before her turned out to be who she thought it was. Soma…

"What?" he sounded annoyed, as per usual when they talked. "I've got a name" he retorted.

Rena raised an eyebrow at him "I do too, but you refused to call me by that" she answered, "So, I'm doing the same" how's that?

"You little…" he growled, but fell silent. He glared at her for a few seconds, closed his eyes as though reminding himself of something, and then opened them again. "Anyway, you didn't answer the question"

"Huh?"

"What are you doing up at this hour?" he eyed her suspiciously, his grey blue eyes piercing through her own brown ones.

"Just taking a walk?" unable to hold the gaze, she turned away, her face showing annoyance. "I could ask the same about you!" at this, Soma merely tilted his head to the side; his glare not going away.

"It was noisy outside, so came to see what was wrong" he explained, albeit in a way that made it seem like it took a lot of effort "And look who I found snooping around"

"I'm not snooping around! And how could you have heard something, if you were asleep!" unless he's a light sleeper, which was probably the case here, she realized. And if that was the truth, then… That damned vending machine and the elevator noise must have been the ones responsible for this!

Taking a zip of her drink, she saw Soma flinch. "What?"

"Are you serious?" he let out a quiet growl.

Looking down at her drink, 'The First Love Juice', she frowned. "Is it really THAT bad?" seeing Soma's grim expression, she choked back the question "Have you tried it?" the girl tried him; she had to know why others made that face.

"One of that Doctor's experiments" he growled, "I'd rather die than drink it again"

Quite the answer, but she still didn't understand. Was it really that bad? All she could taste was something sweet yet bitter, but otherwise there wasn't anything else. "You must have a really screwed up sense of taste if you can drink something like that"

Rena flinched at his words, anger building up inside her. The hand clutching tightening its grip, causing dents on the object's surface. Ok, that does it! She glared at him "Maybe you are the one with bad taste"

"You…!" got him again.

"What's all the noise?" Rena cursed under her breath. That was Tsubaki's voice! The brunette saw Soma flinch, and was probably thinking the same thing as he did.

Better get out of here before the supervisor arrived, or they will be screwed.

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><p>So here is the fifteenth chapter (Finally finished it, geez!). Once again, I hope I kept Soma in character – cause I really have some trouble keeping characters IN Character sometimes, I think. Btw, I'm not sure what Soma's eye color is. I've seen how they look kind of blue, yet somehow grey...<p>

Anyway, a little shorter than I had hoped, and it ended in a – sort of – cliffhanger. Please Review! If I get more reviews, I'll be a little more encouraged to write this! Thank you! XD


	17. Chapter 16

Hope I'm not confusing people with 'when' everything is happening, so I'll just say. This chapter takes place five days after Rena's failed mission – the one when she fainted after encountering 'Dark' or 'Black'. He's gonna get a better name soon, so meh…

Hope it's not too confusing! And sorry for the long delays! But to compensate I'm going to upload a 'couple' of chapters instead of just one.

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><p><strong>Chapter 16: The Missing Ones<strong>

A loud roar shook the City of Mercy, followed by loud shrieks and the sounds of buildings crumbling.

A Chi-You that was feasting on the remains of a Zygone, had been ambushed by a red beast. 'He' had slowly approached its prey, then jumped out of the shadows and sank its long fangs into the unsuspecting Aragami.

The Chi-You struggled, managing to free itself for a moment, but at a prize. One wing had almost been torn off, rendering it unable to fly.

The red Aragami, its red fur bristling, took his time to see where to strike next. Just the way a cat walked around its wounded prey, playing with it before delivering the final blow.

Without one wing, the other Aragami would not be able to use its beam-based attacks. That did not mean he was completely safe from other attacks.

'Red' may be an Aragami, but he was smart. At least a lot smarter than the majority of its 'so called kin'.

Any observer would assume it was a fight for food, but it was not that simple. And 'Red' himself had a motive to attack this Aragami, other than to eat.

Red clawed 'paws' sank into the dirt, and then he sprang towards the wounded Aragami. It lashed out with its good wing – the clawed hand at the end catching Red in the eye – but the hunter had sunk its fangs on the beast's head before it could do any more damage.

The Chi-You flailed, trying to free itself, but Red's jaws were strong and he shook and thrashed the Aragami until it did not move. Dark steam, Oracle cells, poured out of its body as it died.

Red eyed his work for a few minutes, and then let the bias in his system do the rest; he began to eat. Once he was done, he left to search for more prey.

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><p>Back at the Den, fuzz was happening at the lobby.<p>

Rena, who just exited the elevator, was greeted with the overwhelming sounds of people talking. It peeked her curiosity and decided to ask what the fuzz was all about.

She eyed the crowd, and saw Brendan, and decided to approach him. "What is going on?"

It took him almost by surprise, as though he had been in deep thought before being startled. He shook his head lightly, then spoke "The missing members of the second Unit have been found. Their armlet's signal comes from an area in the City of Mercy" well that is a good thing, they were close by.

Rena wondered if he was as relieved as she was, but his expression said the contrary "Are there" she said carefully "bad news?"

"It's strange. Aragami that should be in the area where the Unit members' signal come from are disappearing one by one" he frowned, so unlike his calm outward expression "It's just like that time, when the New-Type showed up five days ago"

Rena felt her skin crawl at the memory of the black Aragami. It had seemed like it knew her the last time she fought it. Was it in the city? What about the God Eaters who were currently there, on their way back home? She hoped it was not the case, and that the Aragami was somewhere far away.

But she knew it was just wishful thinking. "I sure hope they don't come across it, if it _is_ that one Aragami that is…"

Her eyes wandered around the lobby, when she suddenly realized something "Now that I think about it" she turned to Brendan, who had been thinking about something again "Where is Tatsumi?"

"He was sent out to fetch his Unit members ten minutes ago" a familiar commanding voice surprised the brunette who turned around to face the source. Tsubaki, with her usual cold demeanor, was approaching them "Some members of the First Unit were sent out as well. The alarming disappearance of Aragami in vicinity must be looked into and dealt with immediately"

Rena sighed in both relief and worry. Sure, now that other God Eaters were on the search, the missing members could return home safely. Or at least that's what she thought.

The strength 'Black' had shown during their previous confrontation was enormous, and quite abnormal. It was barely affected by the attacks delivered to it, and its counter attacks left severely damaging aftermaths.

If any of the returning Unit members were injured and unable to fight, it would be devastating. Rena shook the thought away, not wanting to accept any more deaths so long as she lived.

For her, it had been a short encounter – thanks to Red – but it still left her with doubts about whether or not they would ever be able to defeat that monster.

Come to think of it, she never did ask how many members had gone missing or why they had been sent out in the first place. Now that the supervisor was here, Rena had to take her chance to ask.

"Five members were sent out to track down that New-Type Aragami" the woman answered, albeit did not say the 'why' of the case, which frustrated Rena. "Only two God Eaters are on their way back, however…"

This left Rena's mouth dry. Two out of five people? What happened to the other three? They could not have… The brunette could not speak any more, images of the day she lost her adoptive mother rushed to her head, making her even more uneasy.

She could see Brendan looking awfully tense; it seemed he was struggling to face the possibility of casualties. Rena did not like it, but could not say anything.

"As soon as they are brought back to the Den, we will know more details about what happened" Tsubaki informed, and moved to walk away "Do not go out on any missions until everything is cleared out"

More time locked in here. Though this time it was more understandable; whatever was out there in the City of Mercy killing off Aragami could be dangerous. Even more so if it happened to be Black.

"They'll make it" Rena finally found her voice, speaking more to herself than anyone, but it drew Brendan's attention. "They have to…" she tightened her fists and wishing nothing bad happened.

* * *

><p>"We are almost there" Kyo's voice was hoarse as he addressed his nearly unconscious comrade. His forehead was bleeding from a long cut, blood falling into his right eye and making it annoying to focus. His dark-green hair did not make it any easier, getting in the way when the wind blew.<p>

Leo, who he was helping to walk due to a serious injury on the leg, did not reply. He was sweating, his dark orange hair was covered in dirt, and his breathing was shallow. This was not good.

Rushing footsteps alarmed Kyo. He lowered his comrade down, and after making sure he was safe, he reaffirmed his grip on his God Arc, an Old-Type Short Blade.

If it was an Aragami, it must be something small. The city had been deserted since the moment they entered, as though the path was being cleared out. It was strange.

Kyo slowly raised his weapon; waiting for the possible threat to round the corner… the he let his grip relax at seeing who it was. "Whoa, careful! It's me!" Tatsumi O'mori, the Leader of their Unit.

Kyo did not know how to voice his relief, and just let himself drop to the floor out of exhaustion. "Don't startle us like that" was all he could say, as if complaining.

Tatsumi rushed to them, "Where are the others?" he said with concern after searching for the other members with his gaze.

Kyo shook his head, "Leo is wounded, he needs treatment" he said "and fast"

Tatsumi took the hint and quickly ran to Leo, who had not spoken a word. Besides the heavy bleeding on his leg, he also seemed to have a wound on his side. His chest was bandaged with a thick cloth, making it impossible to see the damage, but Tatsumi guessed Leo must have a punctured lung, which would explain the wheezing sounds he made.

"We can't waste time, let's head back to the Den immediately" Tatsumi said, helping the injured God Eater to his feet. Kyo got up and gave a hand.

They did not get very far, when an unwanted guest showed up…

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><p>Dun, dun, dun! Well, there is the cliffhanger for now. More will come right after this chapter is uploaded, so there won't be a long wait.<p> 


	18. Chapter 17

Continuation from last time, who is this 'unwanted guest'?

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><p><strong>Chapter 17: Prowling Hunter<strong>

_Out of all the things that had to happen, right as they were getting back to safety, this bastard shows up! _Kyo grit his teeth, why did all bad things happened when you least want them!?

The Aragami was not one of the 'Big Threats', but it was still an annoying one that could take you easily if one was not careful: a Sariel. It had to be a Sariel! Why!?

"I'll distract it" Kyo offered, his eyes burning with anger. Tatsumi seemed to thought the same thing, though, and stopped Kyo from acting.

"You take your comrade to safety, I'll be the decoy" Kyo wanted to argue, but this was his leader, "It won't be easy, but–"

A loud howl interrupted him, making Kyo hiss at the possibility of another enemy. And it seemed like this one would be a larger Aragami; just their luck!

The dark green haired God Eater got ready to move and put his partner somewhere safe, when a giant red beast jumped out over their heads, and sank its teeth on the Sariel.

"Is that-!?" there was no time to think. If the two Aragami were to fight, they would be an obstacle. However, if they took each other out, it would make their journey easier.

Of course that was wishful thinking. As soon as the fight between the two monsters was over, only one stood before them. The red Aragami, its claws and fangs stained red, stood over the dead Sariel.

Its golden eyes took notice of the God Eaters, with Kyo cursing under his breath. If a monster like that was to attack, they would be done for. "This isn't good" he heard Tatsumi say, unease in his voice.

It would have been easier if more God Eaters were here, that would give them more of an advantage if they wanted to escape. But with one unconscious comrade, and Kyo tired from the long travel, it would be up to Tatsumi to act. That was not good.

For a good minute or so, no one moved, not even the Aragami. Then, the red beast looked away, unconcerned, and began to eat.

"We could take this chance" Kyo suggested, voice low. But Tatsumi shook his head. Kyo did not know how much of a threat this Aragami represented to them. He supposed around the same as a Varja, but he was not sure.

He had seen fire coming out of its mouth and from the holes on the stone-like gauntlets covering its front arms. If it could use fire, it was a whole different story.

"Let's try and walk past it" Tatsumi suggested, it was a good idea. "I'll be on guard in case it tries something" with that, the three slowly walked past the Aragami.

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><p>By the time the Aragami had finished its meal, the trio had barely gotten near the alley where the beast had to come out from. Tatsumi got ready for a fight. But it was for naught. The Aragami did not even give them a second's glance before leaving, as though they did not exist.<p>

"Is it mockying us!?" Kyo spat in anger. Aragami were not the smartest, but from what he heard and experienced, they were not stupid. And this one was certainly not dumb; was it cocky?

"Whatever the case" Tatsumi interrupted his romrade, helping Leo to walk. "We have to head back" a though came to dark green haired's mind. Other than his previous thoughts, there was something that bothered him more. He knew it was impossible, but, had that Aragami helped them? And not by accident, but intentionally?

No that was impossible. Kyo moved to help support Leo, and the three slowly made their way back. A feeling of uneasiness falling on them regarding the prowling hunter who had seemingly helped them.

* * *

><p>"We have to hurry!" Tatsumi's voice startled Rena.<p>

She had walked out, and sat by the entrance of the Den. She did not like being the last to know what was going on, and she had decided to wait there to greet the God Eaters when they got back be there to help them if they needed it.

Federico, a God Eater who had joined Fenrir about a year ago, had decided to join her. It appears that some of the members were good friends of his.

"Tatsumi!" she stood up; she and Federico ran to see what had happened. The 2nd Unit Leader was being accompanied by others. Rena spotted Sakuya and Kota, with Annette running beside them. It seems they had managed to find the missing members, but not unscathed.

Judging from Tatsumi's urgency, and his comrades' wounds, the situation was serious. She did not like this. "What happened" she rushed to help support the wounded member, who seemed to be unconscious.

"Horrible things" the one who spoke was a young man with short dark green hair, who dropped to the floor as soon as she took hold of his friend. Well, _that_ is nice, though she did not openly complain. He seemed exhausted, and that was enough of a cue for her to stay silent.

Federico looked at the group. He looked distressed, were none of the ones present the people he was looking for? He seemed to let out a sign of disappointment, his face showing worry, then said "I'll go get a doctor" before rushing off. Kota joined him soon after.

It took its time, but they managed to get the injured God Eaters to the infirmary. They were all shooed out of the place, and all they could do now was wait…

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><p>Shorter than last chapter, but it is still something. It's been a while since I've written, and I hope I kept some people in character (I feel like I did a lazy job -.-)<p> 


	19. NOTICE

**Scarred Soul NOTICE**

Hello. Sorry this is not a chapter, but I am posting this to tell everyone that Scarred Soul is going to be on temporary Hiatus. I am going to revise the fanfic and edit it.

Reason, I'm thinking whether to change Rena to being an Old Type God Arc wielder rather than a new one. But I'm not quite sure, since there is a 'future' important scene involving the God Arc she wields. And I need to fix mistakes that I had not noticed before, from old and new chapters.

Thank you for your attention.

I'll be updating as soon as this revision is over.

Wystern~


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